Common allergic and allergic-like reactions to medications. When the cure becomes the curse.

Adverse drug events are the leading cause of medical injury in hospitalized patients in the United States. The number of persons affected is roughly four times the total number killed in automobile accidents every year. The good news is that most adverse drug events are preventable through careful and thorough management. In the spirit of "First, do no harm," the authors of this article discuss common anaphylactic and allergic-like reactions to medications and what you can do to minimize the risks.