Indications for treatment with NSAIDS
What are the indications for treatment with aspirin, acetaminophen, and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs.
Aspirin, acetaminophen, and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are generally considered to be the drugs of choice for mild to moderate pain. They represent the first step in the analgesic ladder proposed by the World Health Organization. These agents have a relatively low abuse potential and are primarily used in nociceptive somatic pain syndromes (e.g., arthritis). They do, however, have a ceiling effect. Pure opioid analgesics such as hydromorphone and morphine do not. The ceiling effect refers to the dose after which additional quantities of an analgesic no longer provide additional analgesia.