Helicobacter pylori management in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy patients in primary care.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may cause gastroduodenal ulcers and its complications. Helicobacter pylori infection is recognized as an additional risk factor for ulcer development, its eradication in NSAIDs users being recommended. In this cross-sectional study, during a 1-week period, consecutive patients who were routinely visiting in 58 primary care clinics were enrolled. A questionnaire was used to collect clinical data on the patients who were chronically taking NSAIDs. Patients with age >65 years, a personal history of peptic ulcer, concomitant therapy with steroids, anti-coagulants, multiple NSAIDs, or relevant co-morbidities were considered at high risk for NSAIDs gastroduodenal complications. Data on H. pylori infection management were collected. Overall, H. pylori was searched for in 140 (16.1%) out of 869 patients receiving chronic NSAID therapy, and it was eventually cured in 43 (72.9%) of the infected cases. In detail, H. pylori status was not investigated in 670 (77.1%) of those patients at high risk of NSAID-related gastroduodenal lesions, including 516 patients ≥65 years old, and 154 younger, but with at least 1 adjunctive risk factor. In addition, 234 (35%) of these high-risk patients were not receiving any gastric mucosa protection. Our data find that H. pylori infection is investigated in fewer than one of every five NSAID-user patients in primary care. The low alertness towards such an infection in these patients suggests a need for prompt implementation of current guidelines.

A very high rate of inappropriate use of gastroprotection for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy in primary care: a cross-sectional study.

AIM: To assess the appropriateness of gastroprotection in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) users by primary care physicians. BACKGROUND: A gastroprotective therapy is advised in NSAID users who are at a high risk for developing gastrointestinal side effects. However, an inappropriate (overuse/underuse) prescription of gastroprotection has been reported. STUDY: This was a cross-sectional study in which a questionnaire was administered to consecutive NSAID users who visited routine primary care during a 1-week period. The presence of risk factors for NSAID-related gastrointestinal side effects and the eventual gastroprotective strategy used were registered. Gastroprotective therapy was considered appropriate/inappropriate according to the current guidelines. RESULTS: Overall, 869 (25.3%) of 3,433 patients were on chronic NSAID therapy. Gastroprotection was performed in 593 (68.2%) NSAID users, and it was appropriate in only 299 (34.4%) cases. Specifically, an underuse of gastroprotective therapy was observed in 30.6% of ≥65-year-old, whereas an overuse occurred in 57.5% of <65-year-old patients without any risk factor. Concomitant therapy with either steroids [odds ratio (OR): 4.3] or anticoagulants (OR: 3.9), and >72 years of age (OR: 1.67) were significant predictive factors of inappropriate gastroprotection. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate use of gastroprotective therapy for NSAID users by primary care physicians needs to be promptly implemented, as its inappropriate use is noticeably increasing ethical and economic concerns.