Comprehensive Nursing Pharmacology Q 131
To minimize the risk of dyspnea and GI bleeding, OTC ibuprofen is given:
A. IV.
B. With orange juice.
C. On an empty stomach.
D. With meals.
Correct Answer: D. With meals.
Taking ibuprofen with meals will decrease GI irritation. Ideally, take NSAIDs after eating and avoid taking them on an empty stomach. This will help minimize the risk of the medicine upsetting your stomach. German guidelines for family physicians advise that in elderly patients NSAIDs should be taken with food and never on an empty stomach
Option A: Specific NSAIDs can also be administered parenterally, for example, intravenous ibuprofen is available, given as a 30-minute infusion; this can be used as a non-opioid analgesic to manage pain and can also reduce fever. Trials have shown that using intravenous ibuprofen along with morphine in postoperative adult patients has the potential to lower the total use of morphine.
Option B: Orange juice may promote acidity and increase gastric irritation. More rapid absorption of ibuprofen produces earlier and higher maximum plasma concentrations, producing earlier onset of analgesia combined with better overall and longer-lasting analgesia in dental pain models.
Option C: Ibuprofen will cause GI upset if given on an empty stomach. There is a consensus in worldwide recommendations that prescription and non-prescription (over-the-counter, OTC) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should be taken with food or with milk, and that this advice applies also to aspirin, and perhaps to paracetamol.