Allergy.  1994 Dec;14(4):702-707.

A Case of Acetamionphen-Sensitive Asthma

• Yoon HJ
• Jee YK
• Park JK
• Kim YY
• Cho SH
• Min KU
• Kim YK
• Song SH

Abstract

The prevalence of aspirin(ASA) sensitivity in asthmatic patients was between 9 % to 44 % (mean 20 % ). Drugs, such as NSAID, which inhibit cyclooxygenase, are well known to cross react with ASA. A small proportion of ASA-sensitive patients with asthma also react to acetaminophen. Animal experiments about the effect of acetaminophen on cycloo xygenase have demonstrated conflicting results. We observed a case of bronchospastic reactions to the ingestion of usual dosage of acetaminophen in ASA sensitive asthmatic subject. CASE: A 34-year-old woman with a history of recurrent cough, sputum, and dyspnea visited in July 1993. Above symptoms were aggravated at night, and were persisted perennially. She experienced recurrent sneezing, rhinorrhea, and nasal obstruction since 1990; nasal polypeetomy was performed in 1991; she experienced acute asthmatic attack about 30 minutes after the ingestion of two tablets of Geworin (ac etaminophen 300mg, isopropylantipyrine 100mg anhydrous caffeine 50mg) in July 1992 and also after the ingestion of aspirin in Augst 1992; thereafter, she was admitted several times but took irregular medication. On arrival at OPD, she complained mild asthmatic symptoms, and there were nasal polys in both nasal cavities but no wheezing sound on auscultation. On laboratory findings there was a eosinophilia on pheripheral blood and elevated total lgE level. On PNS radiography there was a total haziness of both maxillary and ethmoid sinuses. She showed a positive skin test to several kinds of pollen allergens. She show 20 % fall of FEV1 at 30 minutes after the ingestion of 600 mg dose of acetaminophen. In conclusion, sensitivity to acetaminophen has been demonstrated to occur in ASA-sensirive patients asthma. In ASA-sensitive with asthma, ingestion of usual dosages of acetaminophen may not be safe.

MeSH Terms

Acetaminophen
Adult
Allergens
Animal Experimentation
Aspirin
Asthma*
Auscultation
Caffeine
Cough
Dyspnea
Eating
Eosinophilia
Ethmoid Sinus
Female
Humans
Nasal Cavity
Nasal Obstruction
Pollen
Prevalence
Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases
Radiography
Respiratory Sounds
Skin Tests
Sneezing
Sputum
Tablets
Acetaminophen
Allergens
Aspirin
Caffeine
Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases
Tablets