Clinical study of cutaneous drug eruptions in 200 patients

Two hundred patients (112 males and 88 females) with cutaneous drug eruption were studied. The aim was to recognize the offending drug, to evaluate mortality and morbidity, educate the patient and avoid self-administration and readministration of drugs. Fixed drug eruption was the commonest reaction, seen in 61 patients; other reactions being urticaria and angioedema, morbilliform rash in 37, pruritus in 25, Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) in 6, purpura in 6, exfoliative dermatitis in 5, photosensitivity in 5, toxic epidermal necrolysis in 2, acneiform eruption in 3, erythema multiforme in 2. Maximum patients belonged to the age group 41-50, followed by 21-30 and 31-40 years. The youngest was 1 year old and the oldest was 80 years old. Period of development of lesion after intake of drug varied from 1 day to 45 days. Cotrimoxazole was the commonest drug, in 26 cases; followed by Ibuprofen in 20 cases.