The epidemiology of drug allergy-related consultations in Spanish Allergology services: Alergológica-2005.

BACKGROUND Allergic reactions to drugs constitute one of the most frequent reasons for consultations in Allergology services with an increasing prevalence in recent years. OBJECTIVES To describe the results of the Alergológica-2005 study on the clinical characteristics of patients consulting for suspected drug allergies. METHODS Alergológica-2005 was a descriptive, cross-sectional, prospective, observational study undertaken with 4991 patients treated for the first time in Allergology services in Spain. RESULTS Seven hundred thirty-two patients (mean age 41.4 +/- 19.4 years) presented for drug allergies (62% females, 38% males). Diagnosis was confirmed in 26.6% of cases and rejected in 37.2%. Seventy five percent reported only cutaneous symptoms and 10% anaphylaxis. Forty-seven percent of reactions were caused by beta-lactams (63% of which were due to amoxicillin), 29% by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and 10% by pyrazolones. Sixty nine children were treated for this reason, 8 of whom were diagnosed as drug allergic (5 to beta-lactams, 2 to NSAIDs and 1 to pyrazolones). CONCLUSIONS Drug allergies are the third most important reason behind consultations in Allergology services, after bronchial asthma and rhinitis. Females are predominantly affected and the beta-lactams, NSAIDs and pyrazolones are the 3 drug families most responsible.