Relationships between acute generalized eruptive pustulosis, age, sex, primary disease, and prescription medications: Further analysis of the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database.

BACKGROUND: Acute generalized eruptive pustulosis (AGEP) is a rare, but serious, drug-related adverse event. This study aimed to determine the relationships between AGEP and age, sex, primary disease, and prescription medications using a database of adverse drug events, namely, the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database.

METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed AGEP reports extracted from the JADER database based on the preferred term for AGEP (code 10048799). We evaluated the effects of causative drugs, underlying diseases, age, and sex. The association between AGEP and prescription drugs was analyzed using the reporting odds ratio and adjusted for covariates using multiple logistic regression. Association rule mining was performed to evaluate the correlation between each combination of factors and AGEP.

RESULTS: Between April 2004 and March 2023, 823,662 reports, including 869 reports on AGEP, were entered in the JADER database. The highest percentage of reports in each age group was in males aged <10 years, and clarithromycin was the most used drug in males aged <10 years. Nasopharyngitis was the most common reason for use, and Kawasaki disease was reported as a reason for use among males under 10 years of age, but not among females.

CONCLUSIONS: In boys aged <10 years, attention should be paid to the occurrence of AGEP when prescribing clarithromycin and treating Kawasaki disease.