Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug Prescriptions in Living Kidney Donors: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Current guidelines recommend that living kidney donors should avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs due to their potential nephrotoxic effects. It is unclear if physicians are adhering to this recommendation.

Our aim was to determine the proportion of living kidney donors that filled a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug prescription post-donation and the proportion with measurement of kidney function post-prescription.

We conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study.

We identified kidney donors in Alberta, Canada that had accessed the healthcare system in the outpatient, emergency department, or inpatient setting.

Adult living kidney donors in Alberta, Canada who donated between 2002 and 2019.

We measured the number of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug prescriptions, type of prescribing physician, and evidence of post-prescription measurement of creatinine and potassium.

We identified the proportion of donors who filled a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug prescription at least 1 year post-donation. We also assessed how many donors underwent laboratory testing for kidney function and potassium within 14 days following the first prescription.

Of the 759 living kidney donors included in our study, 273 (36%) had at least one non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug prescription over a median follow-up of 7.2 years (interquartile range 3.5-11.5). The proportion of donors with at least one prescription in follow-up remained stable over time (~10% per year). Family physicians accounted for 66% of all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug prescriptions. Approximately, 10% of donors had measurements of serum creatinine or potassium post-prescription.

This study was limited by the inability to capture over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, indication for the prescriptions, and indication for bloodwork being completed in the post-prescription period.

Over one-third of living kidney donors are prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs despite current guideline recommendations, with only a minority undergoing post-prescription laboratory testing. Further research assessing outcomes following non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use is recommended to better inform optimal pain-management strategies for living kidney donors.