Should Physicians Stop Prescribing Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs for Postoperative Pericardial Effusion?
TO THE EDITOR: We appreciate Meurin and colleagues’ (1) initiative on assessing the effectiveness of diclofenac to treat postoperative pericardial effusion. However, before implying that physicians should stop prescribing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for postoperative pericardial effusion, some points should be considered. The first is the choice of NSAID. The 2004 European Society of Cardiology guidelines (2) suggest ibuprofen as the preferred NSAID for treating pericarditis because of its less detrimental side effect profile, favorable effect on coronary artery blood flow, and large dose range.
