Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences

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USE OF NSAIDS AND CORTICOSTEROIDS IN ENT DISORDERS: CORRELATIONS WITH DISEASE SEVERITY AND HOSPITALISATION OUTCOMES

MARIA ALINA MARIN 1,2,3, DOINA CHIORAN 4#, ANDREEA MARIA CRISTEA 5,6*, ANDREI- GEORGE DRAGHICI 5,6, MARIUS LAZAROIU 7, ANDREEA BANTA 1,7, NICOLAE CONSTANTIN BALICA 8

1 ENT Department, Faculty of Medicine “Victor Babeș”, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 2 Eftimie Murgu
Square, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
2 ENT Department, Emergency City Hospital, 400139 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Timișoara, Romania
3 Doctoral School, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041
Timișoara, Romania,
4 Department of Anaesthesiology and Oral Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and
Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041 Timișoara, Romania.
5 University Clinic of Toxicology, Drug Industry, Management and Legislation, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș”
University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
6 Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and
Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
7 ENT Department of the Timișoara Municipal Emergency Clinical Hospital
8 Department IX, Discipline of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine "Victor Babeș" University of Medicine and Pharmacy
Timișoara, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041 Timișoara, Romania

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ENT infections and inflammations are among the most common reasons for medical consultation and are often treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, sometimes unevenly or excessively. This retrospective study analysed 167 patients admitted to an ENT clinic, classified into six major diagnostic groups. It evaluated the association between the type of pathology, the treatments administered (NSAIDs, SAIDs, antibiotics) and the duration of hospitalisation. The data revealed a selective therapeutic pattern: NSAIDs were the primary treatment in uncomplicated acute cases, whereas corticosteroids were used predominantly in cases with severe inflammation or obstructive risk. Differential analysis of the most common diagnoses showed that the combined NSAID + SAID regimen was associated with more extended hospital stays than NSAID monotherapy; however, these findings are descriptive and cannot be attributed to differences in disease severity. Drug correlations confirmed clinical trends: associations between anti-inflammatory drugs and gastroprotective drugs or antibiotic combinations specific to acute infections. The results support the need for severity-based, proportionate prescribing in accordance with current ENT guidelines.