Drugs as allergens for children aspirin and penicillin

DRUGS AS ALLERGENS FOR CHILDREN: ASPIRIN AND PENICILLIN

 

Aspirin may cause hives, perennial rhinitis, nose polyps, or asthma. Many salicylates (even though similar in structure to aspirin) may not cause allergic symptoms in an aspirin-sensitive person.
Penicillin allergy is a very serious illness which reflects the amount given, the route of administration, a previous exposure to it, and the presence of an infection. Its incidence among the population of any country may be judged approximately because only its spectacular reactions are noticed, while its minor symptoms may be overlooked and confused with the disease being treated.
One type of allergic reaction to penicillin is the immediate one which may occur a few minutes after ingestion or injection. Its symptoms range from a mild fever to itching, to rashes, to hives, to serum sickness, to asthma, to hemorrhage, to contact dermatitis, or to anaphylactic shock. The second type of reaction is the delayed one which may appear two to three days after contact; it manifests itself as hives, laryngeal edema, or a choking sensation. Lastly, there is an accelerated reaction to penicillin which may occur one week after its contact; this manifests itself as a rash, hemolytic anemia, or pains in the joints.
Children who have never taken penicillin as such may still show an allergy to it if they have drunk milk from cows treated with penicillin; if they have eaten a moldy food; or if they were given immunizations in syringes that have been used to inject penicillin. (Boiling and sterilization do not destroy penicillin or prevent allergy to it.)

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