[Clinical and statistical analysis of the side effects and complications of antibiotic therapy]

Abstract

A total of 4936 side reactions and complications in 2311 patients subjected to antibiotic therapy were analyzed. The drug allergy was of the allergic nature in 79.9 per cent of the cases, in 6.03 per cent of the cases it was of the toxic nature and in 6.03 per cent of the cases the drug allergy had a toxico-allergic genesis. Dysbacterioses and candidoses were diagnosed in 7.22 per cent of the cases. The complications were lethal in 0.9 per cent of the patients. The complications due to the antibiotic therapy may be arranged in the following descending order: penicillin (51.56 per cent), tetracycline (18.03 per cent), streptomycin (11.5 per cent), levomycetin and sintomycin (11.07 per cent), macrolide antibiotics (5.43 per cent). Affections of the skin and its appendages, nervous system and gastro-intestinal tract were most common. The penicillin side effects were characterized by more frequent skin allergic reactions amd neuro-psychic impairments. Tetracyclines caused more allergic reactions than it was usually considered. Streptomycin was characterized by high shockogenic properties, neurotoxicity and hematotoxicity. The toxic complications were most often caused by aminoglycosides. They were evident clinically from ototoxic and nephrotoxic reactions. General causes of complications due to antibiotic therapy are discussed.