Fatal Anaphylactic Shock from Procaine Penicillin

Abstract

REACTIONS following the administration of penicillin in its various forms are quite common, being reported in 5 to 10 per cent of all patients receiving this drug.¹ The vast majority of these reactions are fortunately minor, rarely being severe enough to require discontinuance of the drug. The potentially antigenic properties of penicillin have been pointed out many times, and the occurrence of serious anaphylactic reactions was predicted by many early observers.² Considering the wide use of penicillin in its various modes of administration, the number of anaphylactic reactions reported in the literature is astonishingly small (Table 1). Of the 2 . . .