Should Physicians Stop Prescribing Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs for Postoperative Pericardial Effusion?
Authors: Amir Y. Shaikh
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2010)

Letters15 June 2010Should Physicians Stop Prescribing Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs for Postoperative Pericardial Effusion?Amir Y. Shaikh, MD and Dennis A. Tighe, MDAmir Y. Shaikh, MDFrom University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655.Search for more papers by this author and Dennis A. Tighe, MDFrom University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-152-12-201006150-00020 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:We appreciate Meurin and colleagues' (1) initiative on assessing the effectiveness of diclofenac to treat postoperative pericardial effusion. However, before implying that physicians should stop prescribing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for postoperative pericardial effusion, some points should be considered.The first is the choice of NSAID. The 2004 European Society of Cardiology guidelines (2) suggest ibuprofen as the preferred NSAID for treating pericarditis because of its less detrimental side effect profile, favorable effect on coronary artery blood flow, and large dose range. The only other study of diclofenac for the prevention of postoperative pericardial effusion was 1 ...References1. Meurin P, Tabet JY, Thabut G, Cristofini P, Farrokhi T, Fischbach M, et al; French Society of Cardiology. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug treatment for postoperative pericardial effusion: a multicenter randomized, double-blind trial. Ann Intern Med. 2010;152:137-43. [PMID: 20124229] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Maisch B, Seferović PM, Ristić AD, Erbel R, Rienmüller R, Adler Y, et al; Task Force on the Diagnosis and Management of Pericardial Diseases of the European Society of Cardiology. Guidelines on the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases executive summary; The Task Force on the Diagnosis and Management of Pericardial Diseases of the European Society of Cardiology. Eur Heart J. 2004;25:587-610. [PMID: 15120056] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Niva M, Biancari F, Valkama J, Juvonen J, Satta J, Juvonen T. Effects of diclofenac in the prevention of pericardial effusion after coronary artery bypass surgery. A prospective, randomized study. J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino). 2002;43:449-53. MedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Amir Y. Shaikh, MD; Dennis A. Tighe, MDAffiliations: From University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoNonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug Treatment for Postoperative Pericardial Effusion Philippe Meurin , Jean Yves Tabet , Gabriel Thabut , Pascal Cristofini , Titi Farrokhi , Michel Fischbach , Bernard Pierre , Ahmed Ben Driss , Nathalie Renaud , Marie Christine Iliou , and Hélène Weber , for the French Society of Cardiology* Should Physicians Stop Prescribing Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs for Postoperative Pericardial Effusion? Philippe Meurin , Jean Yves Tabet , and Ahmed Ben Driss Metrics 15 June 2010Volume 152, Issue 12 Page: 826-827 Keywords Attention Conflicts of interest Coronary arteries Drugs Echocardiography Half life Heart Ibuprofen NSAIDs Surgery ePublished: 15 June 2010 Issue Published: 15 June 2010 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2010 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...