ABSTRACT
Most of the deaths that occur as a result of administration of antibiotics are due to hypersensitivity reactions or overgrowth of resistant organisms. Patients must be carefully questioned concerning previous drug reactions, including rashes, asthma, or local swelling, prior to any injection. Sulfonamide compounds or their acetyl derivatives frequently precipitate in the kidney tubules or the ureters, causing renal damage and blocking the secretion of urine. The most common untoward reaction to the administration of antibiotics is the overgrowth of organisms not affected by the antibiotic agent, which can occur even after the parenteral injection of antibiotics. Peripheral neuropathy and jaundice occur often with long-term administration. The risk of liver damage increases with age. Sulfonamides potentiate the effects of warfarin, tolbutamide, chlorpropamide, and phenytoin by displacement from protein binding sites. Sulfonamides displace bilirubin from plasma protein binding and drive it into tissues, with increased brain injury in newborn infants.
