Professional paper

Self-reported drug allergies in surgical population in Serbia

Jelena Veličković orcid.org/0000-0001-7862-5420 ; Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia; University of Belgrade, School of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia
Ivan Palibrk ; Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia; University of Belgrade, School of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia
Bojana Miljković ; Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
Dejan Veličković ; University of Belgrade, School of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia; Clinical Department of Digestive Surgery, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
Bojan Jovanović ; Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia; University of Belgrade, School of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia
Vesna Bumbaširević ; Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia; University of Belgrade, School of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia
Marija Djukanović ; Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
Vladimir Šljukić ; Clinical Department of Digestive Surgery, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia

Abstract

History of drug allergy is of major concern during perioperative period. Medical records usually lack documents confirming the stated allergy. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of self-reported drug allergies and their characteristics in adult Serbian surgical population, and to analyze their influence on drug prescription during perioperative period. The study enrolled patients scheduled for general surgery during a one-year period at a tertiary care hospital.
They were questioned using a structured questionnaire about the existence of drug allergy and its nature. Medical records were examined after discharge to assess medical prescription during hospitalization. Of 1126 patients evaluated during the study period, 434 (38.5%) reported a total of 635 drug reactions. The most common allergy claim was to antibiotics (68%), nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (16.4%) and iodine (3.9%). Women, urban residents and herbal drug consumers were more likely to state an allergy. The majority of reported reactions were cutaneous (72%) and
respiratory (34%), while anaphylaxis was reported by 3.2% of patients. Only 38 (8.7%) patients had previously undergone any allergology testing. Retrospective chart review revealed that 26 (6%) patients were administered the drug to which they had reported allergic reaction in the past, with no adverse effects. Drug allergies are frequently self-reported in surgical population in Serbia, which is
in contrast to a very low rate of explored and documented allergies. In order not to deny an effective treatment or postpone a surgery, health care practitioners should pay more attention to an accurate
classification of adverse drug reactions.

Keywords

Drug hypersensitivity; Hypersensitivity; Drug-related side effects and adverse reactions; Surveys and questionnaires; Surgery department, hospital; Serbia

Hrčak ID:

155655

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/155655

Publication date:

1.12.2015.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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