Ibuprofen/acetaminophen fixed-dose combination as an alternative to opioids in management of common pain types.

Opioids are frequently used first line to manage acute pain in a variety of settings; however, the use of nonprescription analgesics for acute pain is recognized by experts as a practical and effective opioid-sparing strategy. Variations in dosages and formulations and a lack of standardization in reporting clinical data hinder the awareness of nonprescription treatments and recommendation of their use before opioids and other prescription options. A fixed-dose combination (FDC) of two common nonprescription analgesics, ibuprofen (IBU) and acetaminophen (APAP), is an appealing alternative to opioids in acute pain settings with a range of potential benefits.

Pain management recommendations during the progression of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

COVID-19, an infection caused by SARS-CoV-2, had a devastating impact on people's lives. The pandemic placed a heavy burden on healthcare systems and impacted the care of patients, including those with pain. This narrative review aims to highlight the challenges in managing pain and fever resulting from COVID-19 and pre-existing conditions, and to discuss the role of over the counter analgesics as a key part of the COVID-19 treatment regimen.

The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in COVID-19.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, anecdotal reports emerged suggesting non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may increase susceptibility to infection and adversely impact clinical outcomes. This narrative literature review (March 2020-July 2021) attempted to clarify the relationship between NSAID use and COVID-19 outcomes related to disease susceptibility or severity. Twenty-four relevant publications (covering 25 studies) reporting original research data were identified; all were observational cohort studies, and eight were described as retrospective.

Use of analgesics/antipyretics in the management of symptoms associated with COVID-19 vaccination.

COVID-19 vaccines are effective and important to control the ongoing pandemic, but vaccine reactogenicity may contribute to poor uptake. Analgesics or antipyretic medications are often used to alleviate vaccine side effects, but their effect on immunogenicity remains uncertain. Few studies have assessed the effect of analgesics/antipyretics on vaccine immunogenicity and reactogenicity.

Tolerability of topical diclofenac sodium 1% gel for osteoarthritis in seniors and patients with comorbidities.

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are associated with a dose-related risk of cardiovascular, renal, and gastrointestinal adverse events (AEs). Topical NSAIDs produce lower systemic NSAID exposure compared with oral NSAIDs, offering potential benefits.

Objective: To evaluate the safety of topical diclofenac sodium 1% gel (DSG) for knee and hand osteoarthritis (OA) in older and younger patients and in patients with versus without comorbid hypertension, type 2 diabetes, or cerebrovascular or cardiovascular disease.