Drug safety issues of nimesulide in China--nimesulide-induced liver injury.

摘要

Nimesulide is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It is considered to be well-tolerated and has a relatively low occurrence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) especially in the gastrointestinal tracts. Because its antipyretic effect is quick, nimesulide has become the saleable first-line medicine for fever in children, particularly in poor and backward areas, in China since 2002. Shelves are filled with various brands of pharmaceutical formulations of nimesulide in pharmacy throughout the country. Because drug supervision and management is lax in China, an anxious parent can purchase nimesulide easily for his or her child in fever in most urban and rural pharmacies, even though he or she has not obtained regular prescription from pediatrician.