Gastrointestinal Toxicity of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs in Maxillofacial Trauma Patients: A Review

NSAIDs are widely prescribed for the treatment of pain and inflammation and is well accepted and recommended by World Health Organization (WHO), but their use is associated with adverse gastrointestinal effects, ranging from dyspeptic symptoms and peptic ulcers to more serious complications. Elderly patients are at high risk of experiencing NSAID-induced gastrointestinal tract injury and should be considered candidates for prophylactic pharmacological therapy. NSAIDs cause damage in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract by impairing the ability of the mucosa to resist and respond to injury. Many of these effects of NSAIDs can be attributed to their ability to suppress mucosal prostaglandin synthesis. This review focuses on several of the important recent observations that have improved our understanding and the safety of NSAIDs in the gastrointestinal tract.