A study of fixed-drug reactions at a rural-based tertiary care center, Gujarat

Context: Adverse cutaneous drug reactions (ACDRs) are very common due to a wide variety of drugs available in markets. Fixed-drug reaction (FDR) is a type of ACDR that dermatologists are facing frequently nowadays. There is a need to identify various drugs responsible for FDR and to ensure the safety of the patients with proper counseling. Aim and Objective: The aim and objective was to study the demographic details, clinical patterns, and the offending drugs causing FDR. Setting and Design: This was a cross-sectional, observational study. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out from April 2010 to March 2015 in the Department of Dermatology at a rural-based tertiary care center of Gujarat, India, after taking approval from the hospital's research ethical committee. A detailed history taking and thorough clinical examination were done for all the patients having FDR and were recorded in a predesigned pro forma. Analysis was done using frequencies, proportions, and Chi-square test. All the patients were educated regarding ACDRs and given a list of drugs causing FDR to avoid recurrence. Results: A total of 59 patients were studied for FDR among which 32 (54.23%) were males and 27 (45.76%) were females. Fever (20.34%) was the most common illness for which patients had taken the culprit drug. Antimicrobials (26 [44.07%]) were the most common group of drugs causing FDR followed by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (21 [35.59%]). As a single molecule, diclofenac was the most common drug causing FDR followed by metronidazole 5 (8.47%) and cotrimoxazole, fluconazole, and ciprofloxacin 4 (6.78%) each. The most common complaint following intake of the culprit drug was pigmented patch (31 [52.54%]) followed by blisters (13 [22.03%]). Conclusion: FDR is one of the important ACDRs seen in patients. Antimicrobials are the most common group while diclofenac is the most common drug causing FDR.