Antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in outpatient practice: indications and unwanted effects in a gastroenterological setting.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the type and frequency of the unwanted effects following use of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antibiotics in a gastroenterological out-patient setting.


METHODS
We analyzed a gastroenterological database which includes 151 inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients followed between January 2008 and December 2009. The key-words included NSAIDs and antibiotics.


RESULTS
Of 19 cases treated with NSAIDs, 8 displayed convincing evidence linking them with the subsequent development of IBD. Of 44 antibiotic mentions, 7 documents alluded to macrolide prescriptions, which were followed by induction or relapse of IBD in 5; all of the newly diagnosed cases of IBD were endoscopically proven, and one ran a fulminant course requiring emergency colectomy; 4 of 5 prescriptions of amoxycillin/clavulanic acid were accompanied by toxicity (three hepatitides and one reactivated IBD). Overall, the frequency of unwanted effects was 36% for both NSAIDs and antibiotics.


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that NSAIDs and antibiotics (specifically of the macrolide structure) can induce gut and hepatic damage, significantly enhancing co-morbidities in gastroenterologic out-patients, with break of cost-containment guidelines. Therefore, caution is advisable in prescribing NSAIDs and antibiotics in this setting. Though retrospective and possibly biased, the current data coincide with both bench work and epidemiological evidence.
Giovanni C
GC
Actis
Rinaldo
R
Pellicano
Maurizio
M
Fadda
Division of Gastro- Hepatology, Ospedale Gradenigo, Corso Regina Margherita 10, Torino, Italy. actis_g@libero.it.
Floriano
F
Rosina
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal