Drug desensitization during pregnancy: Improving patient safety through multidisciplinary collaborative approach

Abstract

Drug desensitization is a procedure used to induce temporary tolerance to a drug in a patient with proven or highly suspected immunoglobulin E–mediated hypersensitivity.1 It involves administering incremental doses of the culprit drug in a monitored setting and is indicated only in situations in which no acceptable alternative drug can be substituted and where the risk of anaphylaxis during desensitization is outweighed by the benefit of the drug.1 Drug-induced type I hypersensitivity reactions have been reported during pregnancy; sometimes with catastrophic outcomes for both mother and fetus.