ADVERSE SIDE-EFFECTS FROM ANTIBIOTICS

Antibiotics such as penicillin and sulphonamides frequently induce und esired side-effects. Although cross reactions between penicillins and older generation cephalosporines are not uncommon, beta-lactam antibio tics and new cephalosporines rarely cause side-effects or show cross r eactions with penicillins. Compared to penicillins, erythromycines, ce phalosporines, tetracyclines as well as other antibiotic substances ar e rare causes of adverse reactions. Diagnostics should be based on tho rough anamneses as well as prick- and epicutaneous testing. Because mu st reactions are pathophysiologically trot based upon IgE-mediated imm ediate-type reactions, the sensitivity of the skin test (with the exce ption of penicillin) is low. The presence of specific IgE levels again st penicillin G. penicilloyl, amoxycillin, and ampicillin can be deter mined with high sensitivity and specificity. The same is true for the lymphocyte transformation test. Cloning and phenotype as wall as funct ional characterizations of lesional cutaneous T cells are helpful meth ods in characterizing the nature of T cell-mediated reactions. As oppo sed to histamine release tests, cellular antigen stimulation tests (CA ST-ELISA) not only determine IgE-mediated reactions but also pseudo-al lergic reactions.