Adverse events in patients with leprosy on treatment with thalidomide

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Thalidomide, used to treat erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL), is associated with severe adverse events (AEs) and is highly teratogenic. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on thalidomide-treated patients with ENL. AEs and selected variables were investigated through i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
Main Authors: Paula Lana de Miranda Drummond, Roberta Márcia Marques dos Santos, Gabriela Oliveira Carvalho, Cristiane Aparecida Menezes de Pádua
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2019
Subjects:
Thalidomide
Leprosy
Adverse events
Pharmacovigilance
Drug safety
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Arctic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0385-2018
https://doaj.org/article/82ec0c99fb7545c699267d62370e3879
Description
Summary:Abstract INTRODUCTION: Thalidomide, used to treat erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL), is associated with severe adverse events (AEs) and is highly teratogenic. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on thalidomide-treated patients with ENL. AEs and selected variables were investigated through interviews and assessment of medical records. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated via logistic regression. RESULTS: Peripheral neuropathy symptoms and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) were the most common AEs reported. Although women of reproductive age used contraceptives, <50% of patients reported using condoms. Polypharmacy was associated with all endpoints, except DVT. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacovigilance is crucial to prevent harmful thalidomide-associated AEs.

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