By Lilian Anekwe
More than half the patients with stage three to five chronic kidney disease are being prescribed an NSAID, suggest the results of a primary care study.
Researchers reviewed the records of 1427 patients with CKD stages 3 to 5 across seven general practices in West Yorkshire.
A total of 792 patients – 55.5% - were prescribed NSAIDs. Twenty per cent of those prescribed an NSAID had no record of having their CKD monitored in the previous year.
Guidelines recommend that GPs should exercise caution when prescribing NSAIDs to patients with CKD due to an increase risk of rapid disease progression.
Study lead Dr Tomas Lawrence, a researcher at the University of Leeds school of medicine said: ‘It's likely that prescription of NSAIDs is contributing to unnecessary renal impairment.'
Primary Health Care Research and Development 2010 published online 15 March
More than half the patients with stage three to five chronic kidney disease are being prescribed an NSAID More than half the patients with stage three to five chronic kidney disease are being prescribed an NSAID
