Respiratory diseases are prevalent, and medication should be used with caution to prevent drug-induced dermatitis

Winter is the peak season for respiratory diseases. In addition, the temperature in our city has changed rapidly in recent days. The number of people infected with multiple upper respiratory tract diseases caused by mycoplasma, bacteria, viruses, etc. has increased significantly. Many people have fever, sore throat, cough, sneezing, runny nose and other discomforts. Many citizens will choose to use drugs to alleviate the troubles of the disease as soon as possible. We remind the general public that they need to be careful to prevent the occurrence of drug-induced dermatitis when using drugs.

What is drug-induced dermatitis?

Non-therapeutic reactions caused by drugs are collectively referred to as drug reactions or adverse reactions. Drug-induced dermatitis is a manifestation of adverse drug reactions and is also a common type. Drug-induced dermatitis (Dermatitis medicamentosa), also known as drug eruption, is an inflammatory lesion of the skin and mucous membranes caused by drugs entering the human body through various routes such as oral administration, injection, inhalation, and infusion. The severity of the disease varies. In severe cases, it can affect other systems of the body, cause damage to multiple organs, and even endanger life.

The onset of drug-induced dermatitis is related to the patient's allergic constitution. It can occur in men, women, old and young. Individuals have different sensitivities to drug reactions, and the risk of drug-induced dermatitis caused by different types of drugs is also different. In recent years, with the irrational use of drugs, the continuous development of new drugs and the expansion of the drug-using population, the incidence of drug-induced dermatitis has continued to increase.

What are the types of drug-induced dermatitis?

There are many types of drug-induced dermatitis, and the clinical manifestations are complex. Different drugs can cause the same type of drug-induced dermatitis, and the same drug can cause different clinical types in different patients or the same patient at different times. Common types include fixed drug eruptions, urticarial drug eruptions, measles-type or scarlet fever-type drug eruptions, acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis, eczematous drug eruptions, purpuric drug eruptions, erythema multiforme-type drug eruptions, bullous epidermolysis-type drug eruptions, exfoliative dermatitis-type or erythrodermic drug eruptions, acne-type drug eruptions, photosensitive drug eruptions, and drug hypersensitivity syndrome. Among them, measles-type or scarlet fever-type drug eruptions are the most common types, accounting for about 90% of all drug eruptions, and are commonly seen in patients using penicillin (especially semi-synthetic penicillin), sulfur, antipyretic analgesics, and barbiturates.

Which drugs are likely to induce drug-induced dermatitis?

Theoretically, any drug may cause drug rash, but the risks of different types of drugs are different. Clinically, the drugs that are prone to cause drug rash are mainly the following:

Antibiotics: such as penicillins, cephalosporins, sulfonamides, etc.;

Antipyretic and analgesic drugs: such as aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), etc.

Sedatives, hypnotics and anti-epileptic drugs: such as barbiturates, carbamazepine, clonazepam, etc.;

Chinese herbal medicine: such as insect medicine, Curcuma zedoaria, Dendrobium officinale, Bupleurum chinense, etc.;

Others: New drugs such as anti-gout drugs, anti-thyroid drugs, phenothiazines, xenobiotic serum preparations, vaccines and biological preparations.

How to judge whether the lesion is caused by drugs? Generally speaking, drug eruptions usually appear 4 to 20 days after the first use of the drug, but if the same drug or similar drug has been used before, it can appear quickly within a few hours or 1 to 2 days. The color of drug eruption lesions is brighter than similar skin diseases, the itching is more obvious, and it gradually improves after stopping the allergenic drug. At the same time, the use of antiallergic drugs and glucocorticoids can see the lesions become lighter and the itching is reduced.

The disease is frequent recently and medication is unavoidable. How can drug-induced dermatitis be effectively prevented? Drug rash is a drug-induced disease, so prevention is particularly important. First of all, the temperature is relatively low recently and diseases are frequent. People should pay attention to adding clothes when traveling, wear masks when taking public transportation, and protect themselves; if cough, sore throat, fever and other discomforts occur, seek medical attention in time, avoid abusing drugs based on your own "experience", and keep in mind your allergic drugs, inform the doctor when seeing a doctor, use the drugs correctly under the doctor's guidance, and avoid detours; if unexplained itching, erythema, fever and other symptoms suddenly occur during medication, all suspicious drugs should be discontinued immediately, seek medical attention as soon as possible, and the symptoms that have appeared should be treated in the most appropriate way.

Finally, we would like to remind the general public and patients that the temperature in our city has dropped frequently recently, and the weather is cold and windy. When going out, remember to keep warm and wear masks. At the same time, use medication rationally and follow the instructions to actively prevent the occurrence of drug-induced dermatitis. If you experience itching, wheals and other discomforts after taking the medication, you should stop using the suspected drug immediately. If the symptoms are not significantly relieved, please seek medical attention in time!

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