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An Evidence-Based Approach to Prescribing Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs.
Third Canadian Consensus Conference
HYMAN TANNENBAUM, CLAIRE BOMBARDIER, PAUL DAVIS, and ANTHONY S. RUSSELL, for the Third Canadian Consensus Conference Group
ABSTRACT. Methods. Needs assessments were conducted among Canadian physicians to determine their educational needs surrounding NSAID/coxibs. A survey of patients with arthritis was also conducted. Consensus participants reviewed articles relating to NSAID/coxibs in peer-reviewed journals between January 2000 and December 2004. At the consensus meeting, held January 21–23, 2005, participants discussed selected topics, after which recommendations were formulated and debated. Results. At the time of the meeting, it was agreed that emerging cardiovascular data were not clear enough to decide whether unanticipated cardiovascular events associated with coxibs represent a class effect or an effect of an individual drug. However, publications that appeared shortly after the meeting, as well as data presented at both the Joint Meeting of the Arthritis Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee of the US Food and Drug Administration, February 16-18, 2005, and Health Canada's Expert Advisory Panel on the Safety of Cox-2 Selective NSAID, June 9-10, 2005, clarified that all available coxibs do carry some degree of cardiovascular risk, denoting a class effect. Our consensus group made the following specific recommendations: (1) Patients should be fully informed about treatment options, including the need to balance between cardiovascular risks and gastrointestinal (GI) benefits of NSAID/coxibs. (2) Coxibs are as effective as nonselective NSAID and superior to acetaminophen for the symptoms of arthritis. Topical NSAID may also be beneficial. (3) Coxibs are associated with fewer severe GI complications than nonselective NSAID. A proton pump inhibitor (PPI) should be prescribed if an NSAID must be used in a patient at increased GI risk. (4) The renal/blood pressure (BP) impact of coxibs is similar to that of NSAID. (5) In individuals at risk, creatinine clearance and BP should be determined at baseline and shortly after treatment begins. (6) In the geriatric population, use of nonpharmacological therapies should be maximized, and special caution is required before prescribing oral NSAID/coxibs. (7) Patients taking rofecoxib have been shown to have an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Current data suggest that this increased cardiovascular risk may be an effect of the NSAID/coxib class. (8) Although the data are limited, coxibs may be more cost-effective for patients at high GI risk than nonselective NSAID plus proprietary PPI. Conclusion. Coxibs continue to be an option in the treatment armamentarium. Given the evolving cardiovascular information, physicians and patients should weigh the benefits and risks of NSAID/coxib treatment. This concern emphasizes the need to routinely reassess patients' risks. These recommendations, which were formulated according to the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation, are intended to be used as guidelines to supplement, but not replace, the physician's judgment in clinical decision-making. (J Rheumatol 2006;33:140-57; First Release Dec 1, 2005) Key Indexing Terms:
CONSENSUS GUIDELINES
From the Rheumatic Disease Centre of Montreal, Montreal General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec; Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute for Work and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto; Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario; and Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Supported by unrestricted educational grants from Merck Frosst Canada Ltd., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., Pfizer Canada Inc., Solvay Pharma, and Dimethaid Health Care Ltd. H. Tannenbaum, MD, FRCPC, Rheumatic Disease Centre of Montreal, Montreal General Hospital, McGill University; C. Bombardier, MD, FRCPC, Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute for Work and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital; P. Davis, MD, FRCPC; A.S. Russell, MD, FRCPC, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Alberta. Address reprint requests to Dr. H. Tannenbaum, Rheumatic Disease Centre of Montreal, 4060 Sainte Catherine Street West, Suite 740, Montreal, Quebec H3Z 2Z3. E-mail: hyman_tannenbaum@attglobal.net Accepted for publication August 25, 2005. |
