Avoiding adverse drug reactions to Chinese medicine injections

A total of 109 varieties of Chinese medicine injections (CMI) have been approved by the State Food and Drug Administration of China, all of which have the potential to induce adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Major ADRs include systemic anaphylaxis, anaphylactic shock, acute intravascular hemolysis, hepatorenal damage, skin lesion, cardiac damage, respiratory system injury, and gastrointestinal disorders. Contributing factors of ADRs include healthcare workers' inadequate attention to ADRs of CMI, complex ingredients, allergic uncertainties, and inappropriate drug use in children and the aged. To decrease ADRs resulting from CMI, it is essential to improve the selection of drug indications, delivery of proper dosage regimens, compliance with drug instructions, and selection of solvents for the drugs.