NSAID hypersensitivity – recommendations for diagnostic work up and patient management

BACKGROUND: Adverse drug reactions (ADR) to analgesics (i.e., non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug hypersensitivity, NSAID-HS) are one of the most common ADR, affecting approximately 1.6% of all patients. Despite the fact that they are common, they still pose a diagnostic challenge. METHODS: This article is an overview of selected scientific articles and is based on research in PubMed, specialist databases, and guidelines. RESULTS: Approximately 80% of side effects are pharmacologically predictable and are classified as type A reactions, such as abdominal pain and bleeding events. More advanced diagnostic investigations are not useful in such cases. Type B reactions, which account for the remaining 20%, are subdivided into the far more frequent cross-reactive, non-immunological NSAID-HS (acronyms NERD [NSAID exacerbated respiratory disease], NECD [NSAID exacerbated cutaneous disease], NIUA [NSAID-induced urticaria/angioedema]) and the much rarer true drug allergies of type I and IV (acronyms SNIUAA [single NSAID-induced urticara/angioedema or anaphylaxis] and SNIDR [single NSAID-induced delayed reaction]). The two latter are not cross-reactive and all other NSAIDs are generally well tolerated. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic work-up begins with a detailed patient’s history. Skin tests are only useful in SNIDR and SNIUAA, while in vitro tests are helpful merely in exceptional cases. In general, the diagnosis can only be confirmed by provocation testing, when required. Although cross-reactivity is usually present, provocation testing is often able to find an alternative, tolerable analgesic. Individual patient management usually enables a solution to be found for most patients.