Urticaria and Drugs Rashes Flashcards
What are hives?
• what causes them?
Remember hives are evanescent, itchy swellings of skin caused by an inflammatory reaction in skin mediated by release of histamine and other cytokines into the skin. This causes capillary leakage and swelling into the DERMIS causing edema.
Are hives typically allergic or non-allergic?
• what are your chances of getting them?
about 1/2 of the cases of urticaria are non-allergic in nature
• prevanlance of getting hives is about 1/5
What are the key features seen here?
These are hives, there is no scale (not tinea) and its not indurated.
• these may come and go into different places
How long do urticaria last?
• how long does angioedema last?
Uriticaia last a few hours before resolving but you may get a series of lesions over a longer period of time.
Angionedema lasts up to 72 hours
What defines acute vs. chronic urticaria?
• what is the most common cause of both?
Acute are less than 6 weeks in duration
Chronic are more than 6 weeks in duration
***The most common cause of each of these is ideopathic***
What are some reasons to get acute urticaria?
- Infections (40% - 2nd most common cause)
- Drugs: ß-lactam antibiotic, NSAIDs, Asprin, opiates, contrast media
- Food: eggs, peanuts, soy, shellfish
- Inhalants
- Stress
- Systemic diseases
What are some causes of Chronic Urticaria?
1 ideopathic
• Chronic Infections
• Rheumatologic Disorders
• Autoantibodies to IgE receptor or mast cells
When are you most likely to see angioedema in conjuction with urticaria?
• how often does angioedema occur in adults with urticaria?
40% of cases of urticaria in adults presents with angioedema most often this is associated with FOOD-INDUCED urticaria
What are two potential reasons you would see angioedema without uriticaria?
GENETIC
C1 inhibitor deficiency or dysfunction
**Note this is accompanied by abdominal pain often times**
DRUG INDUCED
ACE inhibitor induced
Where besides the lips can angioedema occur?
• Tongue, larynx, respiratory tract
• Periorbital area
• Hands and Feet
• GI tract
**If this gets bad enough you might get signs of anaphylactic reaction**
What are some forms of Urticaria that have a physical cause?
How do you treat Urticaria?
• Angioedema?
• Anaphylaxis?
***What drugs should you avoid?***
Urticaria
• treat with antihistamines, leukotriene anatagonists, H2-blockers
• Avoid systemic steroids due to risk of rebound
Angioedema and Anaphylaxis are treated with Epinephrine
What possibility should you consider if any Urticarial plaque lasts more than 24 hours without migrating?
• what would you do to confirm or rule out a dx?
VASCULTITIS - Do a biopsy to determine Dx
Who is at an increased risk for Cutaneous drug reactions?
• what drugs are commonly to blame?
Increased Risk:
• 1OLD (increasing age), 2WOMEN, with 3CONCOMITANT VIRAL INFECTIONS (HIV, EBV, ect)
Common offenders:
• Antibiotics
• Anticonvulsants
• NSAIDs
How does the clinical presentation of a cutaneous drug reaction differ from your typical urticarial rash from a typical allergin?
• what more serious rashes do drugs sometimes cause?
90% of drugs reactions result in the formation of a morbilliform rash and only 5% are urticarial.
Drugs may also cause:
•
What is different about a morbilliform rash from typical urticaria?
• Morbilliform rash typically consists of many red/pink ITCHY papules that are fixed in a single location (where as urticaria seem to move). These often merge together to make one big rash (become more confluent).