title: Intravenous desensitization to allopurinol in a heart transplant patient with gout.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral desensitization with allopurinol presents a problem for patients with allopurinol hypersensitivity and gout that needs to be controlled rapidly. To our knowledge, only 1 case report of intravenous (i.v.) desensitization has been previously published.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To present a case report of a patient with cutaneous reactions to allopurinol who underwent i.v. allopurinol desensitization.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intravenous infusion of allopurinol was performed using an escalating, 19-dose protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No adverse reactions were precipitated by 2 i.v., escalating dose procedures, allowing continuation of effective treatment of the patient's hyperuricemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case of safe and effective desensitization with allopurinol by the i.v. route should emphasize the need for a trial of this protocol in additional patients in whom rapid desensitization would be advantageous.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA. schumach@u.arizona.edu
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: Jack G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Copeland
mesh_terms: D000493:Allopurinol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications*; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006073:Gout / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000493:Allopurinol