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<a href="http://viral-money-machine.com/article/Mechanisms-of-Cutaneous-Drug-Reactions/" target="_blank">Get Paid to Submit Article like "Mechanisms of Cutaneous Drug Reactions"</a><br /><br /><br /> Being among the most frequent adverse reactions to drugs, cutaneous reactions represent common ground when it comes to patients being labeled as "allergic" to an offending (real or presumed) agent. This label, however, fails to differentiate between the many mechanisms by which drugs can elicit adverse reactions manifested in the skin; some of which may not be immune-mediated. An understanding of the various mechanisms of CDRs is essential for the identification of predisposing factors, likelihood of cross-reactivity, expected time course, and advisability of subsequent or continued therapy with the offending or related agents.<br /> The proper terminology for reactions to drugs that are believed to be immune-mediated is an area of debate. Immunologists frequently define the term allergy as "disease mediated by the immune system to an otherwise innocuous agent". Although this definition may well describe the reaction to foodstuffs and environmental allergens, strict adherence to this definition would exclude drugs since they are anything but innocuous. Some authorities object to the use of the term hypersensitivity for such reactions, because it "invites confusion with other kinds of adverse reactions" (7). Moreover, a patient who exhibits a pharmacologic response to a drug (that is not rooted in an immune response) at a dose considerably lower than that needed to elicit the same response in the average individual, could properly be described as "hypersensitive" to that drug. Recognizing the ambiguity in the terminology frequently used for such reactions, it is probably best to refer to these reactions in general as idiosyncratic drug reactions. This classification is particularly helpful because it describes the unexpected and low incidence of these reactions while recognizing that the mechanisms of many such reactions are still poorly understood. However, even this term has limited usefulness. For example, can a reaction that occurs in over 40% of a patient population (such as a rash during sulfonamide treatment in patients with AIDS) and is, therefore, not of low incidence, be accurately called idiosyncratic? Hence, defining reactions based upon mechanisms, where known, is a preferable means of classification. Where evidence of an immune-mediated response does exist, classification of reactions as immediate-type immune-mediated or delayed-type immune-mediated drug reactions will be used in this review (7).<br /> <br>Dr. Vic Albert. The director of wenyewe livelihood group www.4beta4worse.tk.where helping others help themselves is our pride. Find everything for free on www.jitafutie.tk and spare that money for a poor soul