Classification of reactions to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs.

Hypersensitivity reactions to NSAIDs may occur in susceptible individuals and vary in symptom (skin, respiratory tract, and solid organs), severity (from mild skin or respiratory reactions to severe generalized) and timing (from acute to delayed). The current classification of NSAID-induced reactions emerged with the understanding of the pathologic mechanism of reactions to NSAIDs which may be either non-allergic (related to cyclooxygenase inhibition) or immunologically mediated. In this chapter we discuss the implications of accurate NSAIDs hypersensitivity classification for proper diagnosis and patient management.