Studies on the Epidemiology of Adverse Drug Reactions

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 . . .