[Drug allergy: Fundamental aspects in diagnosis and treatment.]

Abstract

Background: Any substance used as a treatment for any disease can produce harmful or unpleasant events called adverse drug reactions (ADRs). They are due to inherent biological effects of the drug and are caused by immunological and non-immunological mechanisms.

Objectives: To describe the immunological mechanisms of hypersensitivity reactions (HSR) to drugs, their epidemiology, risk factors, classification, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

Methods: A review of the most current literature in English and Spanish was carried out, in the main databases, related to the HSR of various drug groups.

Results: This study describes the terms used to define ADRs and HSRs, their classification and clinical manifestations, current diagnostic tools, treatment algorithms and prognosis of the most frequently used medications and with the highest prevalence of reported adverse events.

Conclusion: ADRs are a challenging entity, with a complex pathophysiology that has not been fully understood. Its approach requires a careful consideration since not all drugs have validated tests for their diagnosis nor a specific treatment. When indicating the use of any drug, the severity of the disease, the availability of other treatments and the potential risks of developing future adverse events should always be taken into consideration.