Cutaneous adverse drug reactions: clinical pattern and causative agents--a 6 year series from Chandigarh, India.
OBJECTIVE
To study the different clinical spectrum of cutaneous adverse drug reactions (ADR) and to determine the causative drugs.


METHODS
A prospective, hospital based study was carried out over a period of 6 years recording various cutaneous ADR.


RESULTS
A total of 500 patients with cutaneous ADR were enrolled in the study. The most common types of cutaneous ADR patterns were maculopapular rash (34.6%), fixed drug eruption (FDE) (30%) and urticaria (14%). The drugs most often incriminated for the various cutaneous ADR were antimicrobials (42.6%), anticonvulsants (22.2%) and NSAIDs (18%). Anticonvulsants were implicated in 41.6% of maculopapular rashes. Sulfonamides accounted for 43.3% and NSAIDs for 30.7% of FDE. Urticaria was caused mainly by NSAIDs(24.3%) and penicillins(20%). Anticonvulsants were responsible for 43.8% of life-threatening toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens Johnson syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical pattern and drugs causing cutaneous ADR are similar to those observed in other countries except for minor variations. Cutaneous ADR patterns and the drugs causing various reactions are changing every year, which may be due to the emergence of newer molecules and changing trends in the use of drugs.
Sharma
V K
VK
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh - 160 012, India. aiimsvks@yahoo.com
Sethuraman
G
G
Kumar
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000927:Anticonvulsants