CURRENT APPROACH TO MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS OF ALLERGIC REACTIONS

Allergies affect one of four people on Earth in their lifetime. Drugs are substances intended to heal or to alleviate diseases but administering them should be under strict control. Immune system may recognize in some people drugs as potential threats and produce IgE antibodies against them. In some cases, this sensitisation can lead to unwanted and dangerous reactions called drug allergies. Errors may appear even in cases of experienced allergology specialists, but these are covered by malpractice licences worldwide. One possible source of legal consequences is the lack of proper allergy training of the staff performing the drug allergy skin tests in current practice. In this situation the limitation derives from interpreting the skin reactions to an undiluted drug as an allergy and unnecessary restraining the patient from receiving that medication. Another aspect revealed is that deadly drug allergic reactions are reported mostly in unauthorized healthcare settings. This article presents a review of medical literature regarding medico-legal aspects of these potential harmful situations.