The trend of the drug eruptions in the last fifteen years

The drug eruptions are known to often become more severe by the readministr ation of causative drugs. It is an important theme to prevent the relapse o f the drug eruptions. We have been monitoring drug adverse reactions at our hospital since October, 1980. We divided fifteen years from October, 1980 to September, 1995 into three periods; the first period (Oct., 1980-Sep. 19 85), the second period (Oct., 1985-Sep., 1990), and the third period (Oct., 1990-Sep., 1995), and discussed the trend of the drug eruptions appeared a mong these three periods. The number of the drug eruptions increased. But t he proportion to the total drug adverse reactions and to the number of pati ents slightly decreased. The eruptions in women much increased and in the p atients of forties or older generations also increased. But in patients of thirties or younger generations decreased. While nonsteroidal anti-inflamma tory drugs (NSAIDs) other than pyrines, antibiotics other than penicillins and cephalosporins and drugs affecting the cardiovascular system and the me tabolism tend to increase, pyrines, penicillins, iodic and biliary contrast media tend to decrease. The incubation period before the eruption appeared is less than three days in most antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. B ut it is more than four days in most drugs for chronic diseases. Other symp toms such as nausea, fever and liver dysfunction were shown in 9.2% of the drug eruptions. In 8.9% of the drug eruptions a relapse of allergic reactio ns included eruptions were also found. In some cases the drug eruptions exa cerbate by re-administration of beta -lactam antibiotics. In the case of ad ministration of drugs, it is necessary to pay attention to dermatitis cause d by the drugs. And we recognized the importance of the system for the prev ention of the relapse of drug eruptions including injections.