[Morphology and pathogenesis of changes in the lungs during drug-induced anaphylactic shock in humans]

The paper presents the results from examinations of morphological changes in the lung of 51 persons who died from drug-induced anaphylactic shock at the age of 6 months to 67 years. The patients died several minutes to 7-10 days following drug administration. The causes of the shock were administrations of antibiotics, novocain (procaine hydrochloride), glucose, radiopaque agents, plasma-substituting solutions, protein hydrolysates, and other substances. Forty-nine persons died after parenteral drug administration. The most frequent concurrent conditions were gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases and pregnancy. A clinical and morphological analysis of the material enabled the authors to single out 6 types of drug-induced anaphylactic shock: asphyxial, bronchospasmic, hemodynamic, cerebral, abdominal and a variant with prevalent pulmonary edema. Typical characteristics of pulmonary alterations are described in each type of the shock.