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. 2021 Dec 31;8(6):595-600.
doi: 10.14744/nci.2021.56667. eCollection 2021.

Drug-induced anaphylaxis in the emergency department: A prospective observational study

Fatma Sari Dogan  1 , Vehbi Ozaydin  2
Affiliations

Drug-induced anaphylaxis in the emergency department: A prospective observational study

Fatma Sari Dogan et al. North Clin Istanb. .

Abstract

Objective: Anaphylaxis is an acute, life-threatening, systemic hypersensitivity reaction. It is usually triggered by drugs, foods, and insect stings. The primary objective of our study is to determine the factors affecting drug-induced anaphylaxis to contribute to early diagnosis and treatment in these patients.

Methods: Patients over 18 years old who were diagnosed drug-induced anaphylaxis in the Goztepe Hospital within a period of 1 year were evaluated prospectively. Patients demographical data, etiological factors, clinical findings, and treatment information were recorded.

Results: Forty-four patients were enrolled in the study of which 25 (56.8%) were female. The median age of women and men was 54 (min: 22, max 82) and 44 (min 18, max 82), respectively. Twenty-three (52%) of them had a history of anaphylaxis. The most common causes of drug-induced anaphylaxis were antibiotics (36%) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (18%), respectively. Adrenaline was applied to 17 (38%) of the patients in the treatment.

Conclusion: Antibiotics were the most common drugs causing drug-induced anaphylaxis and adrenaline was underused which is the first-line treatment in the anaphylaxis. Some clinicians refrain from administering adrenaline. The reasons underlying this approach should be investigated.

Keywords: Adrenaline; Naranjo score; anaphylaxis; drug-induced anaphylaxis; emergency.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

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