Warning of the risk of drug allergies in the elderly with many underlying diseases

Recently, a serious drug allergy case occurred with Mr. PQG, 78 years old, living in Hanoi. Mr. G's case is proof of the risk of drug allergy in the elderly with many underlying diseases.

According to information from his family, 2 days before being hospitalized, Mr. G. showed symptoms such as fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and diarrhea. Just one day later, his condition became more serious when a red rash appeared on his body, quickly spreading all over his body accompanied by severe itching. He also had a high fever, decreased consciousness and sores from scratching.

Upon admission to the medical facility, Mr. G. was diagnosed with suspected anaphylaxis due to drug allergy, sepsis, acute liver and kidney failure. The patient was immediately transferred to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases for intensive treatment in the Internal Medicine Department.

Dr. Tran Thi Hai Ninh, Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, said that the patient had a very complicated medical history, including multiple organ failure, stroke, hypertension and chronic gout. These underlying diseases increased the risk of side effects when using treatment drugs.

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After nearly a month of continuous and strict treatment, Mr. G's health condition has gradually stabilized. The allergic rash has subsided and he is past the dangerous stage.

To prevent similar dangerous complications, Dr. Tran Thi Hai Ninh recommends that patients should not use drugs on their own, especially new drugs or drugs of unknown origin.

For the elderly with many underlying diseases, regular check-ups are essential to detect and promptly manage underlying diseases.

Regular check-ups also help your doctor monitor your condition to adjust treatment if necessary and prevent possible complications.

According to doctors at the Central Dermatology Hospital, patients with severe drug allergies such as TEN syndrome need to be treated and closely monitored at a specialized hospital, in a separate isolation room, and receive special skin care to reduce the risk of infection and poisoning.

If not treated promptly, widespread skin lesions will cause pain, fatigue, damage to the oral mucosa causing difficulty in eating and drinking, extensive necrotic skin lesions causing dehydration, loss of fluid through the skin and very susceptible to skin infections, causing sepsis, risking life.

To reduce and avoid the risk of drug allergies, doctors recommend that people do not use drugs on their own when sick, but should go to specialized medical facilities to be examined by a doctor and prescribed appropriate treatment, and at the same time comply with the treatment regimen.

If you have signs of suspected drug allergy such as difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, rash, hives, blisters... you should immediately stop taking the medication and see a doctor again.

Patients without a prescription will not have the basis to take the correct dosage, time, foods to avoid, contraindications to the drug, thereby easily encountering risks due to side effects caused by the drug. Not to mention, prolonged home treatment for the wrong disease, seriously affects the patient's health, causing economic costs.

In addition, self-medication with painkillers is equally harmful. Painkillers make patients think that their illness has improved, but in fact the illness is still progressing and the consequences are unpredictable due to delays in emergency surgery for diseases such as appendicitis and acute pancreatitis.

Therefore, when you see signs of the disease, you need to go to a reputable medical facility for diagnosis, consultation and proper and effective treatment to avoid unfortunate consequences and complications.

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