Drug-Induced Serious Cutaneous Reactions in Hospitalized Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs) can lead to hospital admission and can be fatal, but some of them are preventable. This study aimed to determine the types and frequencies of serious cutaneous ADRs and the methods employed to manage and prevent them, as well as to assess the factors related to their seriousness. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted retrospectively on inpatients and outpatients at a tertiary care hospital. All data were collected from the medical records database over a period of 3 years. Serious cutaneous ADRs were identified in the hospital database using the International Classification of Disease and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision (ICD-10). Results: A total of 2151 cases were retrieved using the ICD-10, and 436 patients were randomly selected for this study. Of these, 218 patients experienced ADRs (50.0%). The major clinical symptoms of the eight serious ADRs included anaphylaxis (38.5%) and urticaria (30.2%). The most commonly suspected drug group was antibiotics (45.0%). The main methods of ADR management were drug treatment (84.4%) and drug withdrawal (81.2%). The primary method of ADR prevention was patient drug allergy cards (52.3%). Factors affecting the severity of ADRs were having an underlying condition (p = 0.031) and the concomitant use of drugs (p = 0.044). Conclusions: Anaphylaxis was the most common serious ADR. Patients with underlying diseases and those taking concomitant drugs are more likely to present with serious ADRs. The prevention of serious ADRs should be promoted at all levels in hospitals to reduce harm and prevent their reoccurrence.