The Drug-Induced Respiratory Disease Website and App

Frequency - Incidence

Incidence of respiratory adverse event(s) due to the specific drug as assessed by number of reported/published cases in the literature. Red digits in stars indicate: 0 = Very rare, questionable signal · 1 = < 10 cases · 2 = 10-50 cases · 3 = 50–100 cases · 4 = 100-200 cases · 5 = >200 cases

Evidence level/grade

Evidence level for respiratory adverse event(s) due to the specific drug as estimated using Hill’s (1965), Naranjo’s (1981), and Bégaud’s (1985) criteria applied to published cases. Blue digits in stars indicate: 0 = Questionable · 1 = Low · 2 = Moderate · 3 = Robust · 4 = Definite · 5 = Unquestionable, pathognomonic

XVII.b

Opportunistic pulmonary/systemic infections

An epidemic on B anthracis (anthrax) resulting from drug contamination has been reported in the 2000s. The lesions must be separated from levamisole-in-cocaine induced skin necrosis (see under levamisole and cocaine)

Publications

Sweeney DA, Hicks CW, Cui X, Li Y, Eichacker PQ

Anthrax infection.

American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine. 2011;184(12):1333-41

Booth MG, Hood J, Brooks TJ, Hart A, Health Protection Scotland Anthrax Clinical Network

Anthrax infection in drug users.

Lancet (London, England). 2010;375(9723):1345-6

Ringertz SH, Høiby EA, Jensenius M, Maehlen J, Caugant DA, Myklebust A, Fossum K

Injectional anthrax in a heroin skin-popper.

Lancet (London, England). 2000;356(9241):1574-5