Investigations of Some Side-Effects Observed in Syphilitic Patients Treated With Penicillin

Symptomatic dermographism: Natural history, clinical features, laboratory investigations and response to therapys

“…There was no significant association with any systemic disease in terms of history, physical examination or laboratory investigations, and despite reports that passive transfer of dermographism is mediated by IgE (Aoyama, 1971;Newcomb & Nelson, 1973), the incidence of the atopic diathesis was not increased relative to the general population (Carr et al, 1964). Doeglas (1975) demonstrated aspirin sensitivity in 14% of twenty-two patients with symptomatic dermographism, and persistent dermographism was recorded in 10% of 100 subjects following penicillin therapy for syphilis (Kalz & Prichard, 1952). Fisher & Schwartz (i953)j however, showed no evidence of an allergic mechanism involving food or drugs in a study of twenty patients, and oral salicylates produced no change in weal size in a further ten patients (Moore-Robinson & Warin, 1967).…”

The Diagnosis of Pruritus in the Elderly

“…But an indictment is not firm unless a straightforward dermatitis medicamentosa is observed-urticaria, rubelliform eruption, erythema multiforme and nodosa, multiform erythema, vasculitis and purpura, or photosensitization. The discovery of a developing or accentuated dermatographism would favor drug sensitivity (7). Elimination of all, or at least the most likely causative medication, can be tried: arsenic, phenolphthalein, antipyrene, phenobarbital, cocaine, morphine, quinine, sulfanilamide, penicillin, chloroquin, chlorthiazide and mercurials.…”

Desensitization of Nurses Allergic to Penicillin

“…Garai (1949) found that a patient who was sensitive to sodium and potassium penicillin was insensitive to the calcium salt, and desensitized him with gradually increasing subcutaneous doses of calcium penicillin. Kalz and Prichard (1952) published reports of cases of penicillin sensitivity that were relieved by antihistamines. Maslansky and Sanger (1952) found that penicillin is less likely to cause reactions when it is mixed with an antihistamine.…”