Basic data of patients with skin drug reactions admitted to Razi Hospital, Tehran, Iran

Background: Although most cases of drug eruptions are mild and self-limited and are relieved after discontinuation of the responsible drugs, statistics of life threatening outcomes should be kept in mind. Moreover, it is important to identify the most common age and sex groups, and the most vulnerable groups in any area related to offending drugs. Thus, we collected the basic information of patients with skin drug reactions who were admitted to Razi Hospital, Tehran, Iran, during 2010-2012 (18 months). Method: In this study, all patients with a diagnosis of drug reactions who were admitted to Razi Hospital, Tehran, Iran, during 2010-2012 (18 months) were enrolled. The types of drugs and skin reaction manifestations were reported. Result: One hundred and thirty one patients were admitted with a diagnosis of drug reactions. The mean age of the participants was 40 years. Forty one patients were male (31.3%) and 90 were female (68.3%). Antibiotics and anticonvulsants were the most common drugs associated with reactions. Carbamazepine was the most common drug that caused reactions (21 cases, 17.4%) followed by penicillin (20 cases, 16.5%), and lamotrigine (16 cases, 13.2%). Morbilliform rash (40 cases, 30.5%), erythroderma (18 cases, 13.7%), and urticaria/angioedema (14 cases, 10.7%) were the most common patterns of skin involvement. Conclusion: The results of our study are consistent with the results of other studies. It is recommended that drugs that commonly cause adverse reactions be prescribed with more precaution in females aged 20-40 years, and if possible, be replaced with appropriate drugs. Moreover, it is recommended that patients who are allergic to these drugs carry a certain card that demonstrates their sensitivity.