Adverse Effects of Antimicrobial Drugs

Abstract

All antimicrobial drugs may produce adverse and allergic reaction. These reactions are usually minor, but occasionally, they can be serious and even life-threatening. However, they can often be prevented or minimized by an understanding of how they arise. Antimicrobial drugs may adversely affect the host directly or indirectly. Direct adverse effects are related to the dose and duration of drug therapy, and can often be correlated to their degree of selective toxicity. Organ specific toxicity of drugs recognized as one of serious drug problems. This type of toxicity is known to affect the ear, eye, liver, heart, blood, bone marrow, and so on. Antimicrobial drugs are one of the most common drug groups that cause hypersensitivity reactions. The penicillins are most often responsible for these reactions with sulfonamides rank the second. Penicillin allergy is important which can be anaphylaxis in highly sensitive patients. It is necessary for the physicians to be aware of the adverse reactions which may occur following antimicrobial chemotherapy, and must known how to manage them.