Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions to Drugs in Latin America: The RACGRAD Study

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Pharmacology
• Public Health

Background:

• Severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) are serious drug reactions with significant morbidity and mortality.
• Understanding SCARs epidemiology in diverse populations is crucial for clinical management and prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize patients experiencing SCARs across eight healthcare institutions in Latin America.
• To identify the most common types of SCARs and their associated causative agents in this region.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, descriptive, multicenter study was conducted.
• Data from 70 patients diagnosed with SCARs in Latin America between 2009 and 2018 were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms-Drug-Induced Hypersensitivity Syndrome (DRESS-DIHS) was the most frequent SCAR (60%).
• Aromatic anticonvulsants were the leading cause (44.3%), followed by beta-lactam antibiotics (15.7%).
• Complications occurred in 75.7% of patients, with a 4.3% mortality rate and 18.6% experiencing sequelae.

Conclusions:

• This multicenter study provides the first report on SCARs in Latin America.
• DRESS-DIHS and anticonvulsant-induced SCARs were most prevalent.
• Despite treatment, SCARs frequently led to complications and mortality in this cohort.