Turkish patients with osteoarthritis: their awareness of the side effects of NSAIDs.
OBJECTIVE
The study aim was to determine the awareness of Turkish osteoarthritis patients of the side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.


METHODS
The patients were interviewed by 138 doctors regarding the level of their knowledge of the side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.


RESULTS
A total of 3,755 patients (female/male: 3/1, 35% > 65 years) were included in the study. 35.5% of the patients were aware of side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. 85.4% and 11.5% were aware of the gastrointestinal and other system-related side effects, respectively. 51% had learned of the side effects from doctors, 19.8% received information from the package inserts, 21.3% had experienced side effects, and 10.0% and 0.8% had learned from their friends and pharmacist, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Turkish osteoarthritis patients have a moderate level of knowledge of side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Defining factors for knowledge of side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were geographical region, socio-economic level and gender. This study reveals the physician's responsibility to educate patients about the side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Yilmaz
Hürriyet
H
70th year Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. hurriyety@superonline.com
Gürel
Selim
S
Ozdemir
Oktay
O
D000368:Aged; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal