NSAIDs Are a Major Cause of Anaphylaxis-Related Emergency Department Visits

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening hypersensitivity reaction that can be allergic or nonallergic. Allergic causes of drug-induced anaphylaxis generally are IgE mediated (e.g., hives and angioedema within 1 hour of penicillin administration), whereas in nonallergic anaphylaxis, inflammatory mediators are released by nonspecific immunological mechanisms (e.g., leukotrienes in aspirin-associated respiratory disease, with reactions delayed up to 2–3 hours). In this study, researchers assessed the rate of anaphylaxis among 806 patients who presented to a Brazilian emergency department with drug-induced hypersensitivity reactions.

Of 117 patients who met criteria for anaphylaxis, culprit drugs were identified in 76%. Almost 50% of reactions were ca…