Cutaneous drug reactions and causative drugs in patients aged 55 years and over [Elli beş yaş ve üstü hastalarda görülen kutanöz İlaç reaksiyonlari{dotless} ve neden olan İlaçlar]

Abstract

Objective: In this study, cutaneous drug reactions and drugs that cause these reactions in patients aged 55 years and above were evaluated in the light of the literature. Material and Methods: A total of 111 patients (aged 55 years and above) with the diagnosis of cutaneous drug reactions admitted to the Dermatology Department of Recep Tayyip University Medical Faculty between 2008 and 2013 were included in this retrospective study. Results: Of the 111 patients, 64 were women and 47 were men. The ages of the patients ranged between 55 and 85 years (mean age 63.8±8.4). The most frequently detected cutaneous drug reactions were urticaria, angioedema, maculopapular drug eruptions, fixed drug eruptions and pruritus. Anti-inflammatory agents, analgesics and antipyretics, antihypertensives, antimicrobials and neuropsychiatric drugs were the most commonly implicated drugs. A history of chronic disease and continuous drug use was evident in 60.4% of patients. Antihypertensives were the most frequent agents causing cutaneous drug eruptions. A history of drug allergy was present in 15.3% of the cases. Conclusion: Anti-inflammatory agents, analgesics, antipyretics, antihypertensives and antimicrobial drugs lead to cutaneous drug reactions most frequently in advanced ages. Urticaria, angioedema and maculopapular eruptions are the most common clinical forms. Antibiotics and chemotherapeutics were determined to cause severe cutaneous reactions such as generalized exanthematous pustulosis and erythroderma. © 2013 by Türkiye Klinikleri.