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Biomedical subjects

A K Furhoff

Publications and source records attributed to A K Furhoff.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

Fatal reactions to drugs. A 10-year material from the Swedish Adverse Drug Reaction Committee.

Drug-induced deaths (n = 274) in Sweden during a 10-year period have been analyzed. The incidence has been remarkably constant, with 25--30 reported cases per year. There is a marked increase with age in the incidence of fatal reactions, more so than for all drug reactions. Women consume more drugs than men and get more reactions, but not more fatal reactions. Anti-inflammatory drugs (antibiotics and sulfonamides) are responsible for 21% of the fatal reactions, followed by oral antidiabetics (9%), oral contraceptives (9%) and antiphlogistic drugs (8%). The blood and the bone marrow are the most susceptible organs, responsible for 40% of the fatal reactions, followed by thromboembolism (10%) and hepatocellular damage (9%). It is important to note that rapid changes have occurred with regard to responsible drugs as well as to the types of adverse reactions encountered.

Adolescent

Drug-induced blood dyscrasias. A ten-year material from the Swedish Adverse Drug Reaction Committee.

Drug-induced dyscrasias (agranulocytosis, aplastic anemia, hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia) in Sweden during a 10-year period (1966-75) have been analyzed. The overall occurrence is remarkably constant, although marked changes have occurred with regard to offending drugs. Drug-induced thrombocytopenia and agranulocytosis are about twice as common as hemolytic anemia, which in turn is twice as common as aplastic anemia. There is a marked increase with age in the incidence of all drug-induced cytopenias. Women predominate and make up close to 70% of the material. With regard to responsible drugs, the most remarkable finding is the high frequency with which sulfonamides appear as responsible for all types of drug-induced cytopenia.

Age Factors

Adverse reactions with methyldopa--a decade's reports.

During 1966-75 the Swedish Adverse Drug Reaction Committee received some 300 reports of reactions to methyldopa. As the Swedish rules for reporting adverse reactions emphasize the importance of severe and unexpected reactions, the relative incidence of various adverse effects differs greatly from what would be found in an intensive study. The three most commonly reported reactions are fever, hemolysis and hepatic effects. Two-thirds of these patients were women. The median age of the groups differed, from 57 years (hepatic effects) to 69 years (hemolysis). The clinical picture of the different reactions was consistent, in the main, with what has been described previously. Between 70 and 85% of the patients in these groups were admitted to hospital because of the adverse reaction.

Adult

Anaphylactoid reaction to dextran---a report of 133 cases.

From 1968 to 1975, the Swedish Adverse Drug Reaction Committee received 113 reports on anaphylactoid reaction to dextran 70, and 20 reports on the same reaction to dextran 40. For 1975, this would equal a reported incidence of anaphylactoid reaction to dextran 70 of 1:2,500. The median age of patients reacting to dextran 70 was 63 years. Median age increased with increasing severity of the anaphylactoid reaction: from 48 years in patients who died. Symptoms were noticed within 10 min of the start of the infusion, or before 100 ml had been infused in 96 patients (85%) with an anaphylactoid reaction to dextran 70. There was a tendency for severe reactions to be observed earlier than milder ones. Symptoms also tended to be observed earlier in conscious than in unconscious patients. Reactions reported to have occurred in unconscious patients tended to be more severe than those in conscious patients. Patients with anaphylactoid reaction to dextran 40 did not differ from those with reactions to dextran 70 with regard to age, severity of the reaction or time before onset of symptoms. There was one death in this group.

Age Factors