A Retrospective Evaluation of Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions (CADRs) Due to Antibiotics Using Naranjo Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) Probability Scale

Abstract

: Cutaneous adverse drug reactions (CADRs) have been found to be one of the most common adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in many studies. There is no common globally accepted tool for causality grading of ADRs to be utilized in pharmacovigilance programs. Our study aimed to show the coincidence of Naranjo method in evaluating clinically diagnosed cutaneous adverse drug reactions in Sudanese patients. The causality of the CADRs was retrospectively evaluated by using Naranjo’s ADR probability scale. The study included 13 males (31.7%) and 28 females (68.3%). Of patients included in the study, 35 patients (85.4 %) had past history of drug reactions while only 6 ones (14.6 %) did not have. Scores of Naranjo algorithm ranged between 3 and 8. There was a moderate agreement between clinically diagnosed CADRs and Naranjo algorithm. 8 cases (19.51%) were assessed as ‘possible’ and 33 cases were assessed as ‘probable’ (80.49%). It was concluded that although CADRs is much more easily to be diagnosed clinically by dermatologists than other types of ADRs, it is worthy to apply this simple algorithm in dermatology centers so as not to misdiagnose some cases with simple skin eruptions and to make a more thematic decision on causality.Key words: Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions (CADRs), Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs), Naranjo Algorithm, Antibiotics.