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Community-acquired pneumonia

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Therapy

Give analgesia for pleuritic pain e.g. a NSAID if no contraindications

Why?

  • Indomethacin reduces severe pleuritic chest pain compared with placebo. a
  • Indomethacin increases FVC and FEV1 and reduces the respiratory rate. a

Indomethacin gives effective pain-relief for severe pleuritic chest pain

Patient Treatment Comparison Outcome CER RRR
(95% CI)		 NNT
(95% CI)
severe pleuritic chest pain a indomethacin placebo pain-relief good or excellent
at 2 hours 		34% 140%
(39% to 320%) 		2
(1 to 4)

 

Expiry date: July 2003
Levels of Evidence used in grading these guides

Author   CM   Ball
Reviewer   M   Kamei
CAT Writers   C   Ball , CJ   Wotton , B   Phillips