Studies on the Epidemiology of Adverse Drug Reactions

Abstract

THE remarkable lack of pharmacologic toxicity of penicillin is now well established, but penicillin hypersensitivity reactions have become a serious problem. A projection of statistics from some surveys estimates that 100 to 300 fatalities occur annually in the United States from reactions to penicillin,¹ and an estimated 2,500,000 people in the United States are allergic to this widely used antibiotic.² Adverse reactions to penicillin occur in 1 to 8 per cent of patients treated.³ The different reaction rates are probably related to numerous factors, including the difficulty in attributing reactions specifically to penicillin, particularly when several drugs are being administered . . .