Table 5.

Guidelines for use of analgesics in asthmatic patients

Patient characteristics	Recommendation
Anyone positively identified with aspirin induced asthma; or anyone who has ever experienced an asthmatic reaction to aspirin or NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen sodium); or anyone with high risk features of aspirin induced asthma (severe asthma symptoms, nasal polyps, urticaria, or chronic rhinitis)	Patient should avoid all products that contain aspirin or NSAIDs indefinitely; paracetamol should be recommended, unless contraindicated
Younger than 40 years of age, or; have not used aspirin or an NSAID recently without incident	Aspirin induced asthma may develop late in life, so patients should be informed of risks of aspirin and NSAIDs, and paracetamol should be recommended, unless contraindicated. If NSAIDs are necessary, the first dose may be taken under medical supervision
All other asthmatic patients	Any analgesic may be considered. If patients experience any respiratory reactions in response to therapy they should be advised to stop treatment and visit a doctor