Anti-inflammatory drug-induced injury to the intestinal tube: clinical value, pathogenesis, possibilities of prevention

Abstract

Enteropathy induced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is a socially and clinically highly significant pathological process in terms of its epidemiology and consequences. Understanding of the seriousness of this problem requires that the occurrence and course of a pathological process in the small bowel should be controlled in the use of NSAIDs, on the one hand, and enables purposeful and pathogenetically sound prevention of NSAID-induced enteropathy on the other. At the same time, protection of not only the small bowel, but the entire digestive tube may be provided in full measure only when the protective potential of the mucosa is preserved. Coxibs, selective cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors, that are safe for the digestive tubal mucosa, should be used as agents for the primary prevention of NSAID-induced injury.

Keywords

• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• nsaid-induced enteropathy
• pathogenesis
• prevention