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Pulmonary embolism

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Therapy

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

Why?

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


Indomethicin 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 Indomethicin 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   B   Lee
CAT Writers   CM   Ball, C Wotton, M Hayatli