Which Oral Antibiotics Are Associated Most Strongly with Serious Cutaneous Drug Reactions?

Serious cutaneous adverse drug reactions (cADRs) can lead to life-threatening conditions, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome. Diagnosing these rare syndromes can be challenging, as most reactions are delayed, and relative risks for severe cADRs associated with various antibiotic classes are not well understood. To evaluate this risk, researchers in Canada used a large database that contained 20 years of outpatient antibiotic prescribing in older patients (age, ≥66). Each patient who received oral antibiotics within 60 days of emergency department (ED) presentation or hospitalization for a serious cADR was compared with one to four age- and sex-matched controls…