NSAIDs and head injury

Report By: Abdo Sattout - ST4 in Emergency Medicine
Search checked by Mark Nicol - Consultant in Emergency Medicine
Institution: Macclesfield District General Hospital
Date Submitted: 23rd October 2007
Last Modified: 10th January 2008
Status: Blue (submitted but not checked)

Three Part Question

In [a patient on regular NSAIDs - excluding Aspirin], does [a head injury] increase [the risk of intracerebral bleeding].

Clinical Scenario

A 67 year-old presented to the emergency department following a head injury. He has no significant medical history apart from osteoarthritis for which he takes regular NSAIDs. He denies any intake of Aspirin.
You wonder if the use of regular NSAIDs increases the risk of intracerebral bleeding post head injury.

Search Strategy

Medline.
Pubmed.
[NSAIDs] and [head injury] and [intracerebral bleeding or haemorrhage] limit to human and english language.

Search Outcome

No papers met the search criteria.

Comment(s)

Currently there has been no reports to link regular use of NSAIDs (excluding Aspirin) with an increase risk of intracerebral haemorrhage following a head injury.

Clinical Bottom Line

So far there is no clinical evidence to suggest such possible association and further research into this is needed.