Beta-lactams and nervous system drugs were the most common reported culprits of drug-induced anaphylaxis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome
Between 2016 and 2020, there were a total of 1,325 reported cases of drug-induced anaphylaxis (0.32% of drug allergy) and 1,706 cases (0.41% of drug allergy) of Stevens-Johnson syndrome in Hong Kong. Breakdown of reported drug culprits are shown in Table 2 and Table 3, respectively. Anti-infectives (544 [41.1%]) were the most common culprits of drug-induced anaphylaxis (in particular, beta-lactams: 402 [30.3%]), followed by musculoskeletal system drugs (158 [11.9%]) and nervous system drugs (157 [11.8%]). Anti-infectives (735 [43.1%]) were also the most common culprits of Stevens-Johnson syndrome (in particular, beta-lactams 348 [20.4%]), followed by nervous system drugs (390 [22.9%]) and musculoskeletal system drugs (348 [20.4%]).