Hypersensitivities life-threatening response

Adverse hypersensitivity may start 1 to 8 weeks after start of drug use and clinically display as anaphylaxis, fever, rash and various cutaneous reactions (exanthema s, bullous responses, etc.), blood dyscrasias and involve multiple internal organs, including liver, kidney and lungs (Sullivan and Shear, 2001 Gomes and Demoly, 2005). Occasionally drug hypersensitivity results in very serious and life-threatening conditions, such as Steven Johnsons Syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). 

About 10% of asthmatics are hypersensitive to aspirin, and in some individuals life-threatening bronchoconstriction can occur. This is not a drug-drug interaction but an adverse response of asthmatic patients to aspirin, whether taking an anti-asthmatic drug or not. The reasons are not fully understood. Those known to be sensitive to aspirin may also possibly react to other NSAIDs, in particular the acetylated salicylates, the indole and indene acetic acids, and the propionic acid derivatives (see Table 6.1 , (p.l34)). The fenamates, oxicams, pyrazolones and pyrazolidinediones are better tolerated. The nonacetylated salicylates (sodium salicylate, salicylamide, choline magnesium trisalicylate) are normally well tolerated. Aspirin-sensitive individuals are also less likely to react to nimesulide. ... 

The answer is a. (Hardman, p 224.) Epinephrine is the drug of choice to relieve the symptoms of an acute, systemic, immediate hypersensitivity reaction to an allergen (anaphylactic shock). Subcutaneous administration of a 1 1000 solution of epinephrine rapidly relieves itching and urticaria, and this may save the life of the patient when laryngeal edema and bronchospasm threaten suffocation and severe hypotension and cardiac arrhythmias become life-endangering. Norepinephrine, isoproterenol, and atropine are ineffective therapies Angioedema is responsive to antihis-... 

---