Drug allergy in children: what should you know?

Drug reactions cause 6.5 % of all hospital admissions. They develop with a rate of 15 % in patients who are trea­ted in hospitals. The risk of drug reactions should be considered in the differential diagnosis when any medical problem occurs in a person who uses medication. In children, the major difficulty in the diagnosis of drug allergy is differentiation of maculopapular drug eruptions from viral exanthem which is observed very commonly in this age group. In treatment of allergic reactions, the first step is to immediately discontinue the drug. Avoidance of using over-the-counter medicines and using drugs orally if possible are important in terms of prevention of drug allergies. Cross-reactivity between drugs with similar structure should be considered when choosing an alternative medication. Antihistamines, in particular dimetindene maleate — Edermik, can be used for the prevention and treatment of drug reactions at the outpatient stage.