Drug Induced Diseases and Teratogenicity

Abstract

Drug-induced ailments, also referred to as iatrogenic diseases, are a common but little-researched phenomenon. Risk factors for drug-induced diseases include a variety of chronic ailments, various doctors, hospitalization, medical or surgical procedures, long-term medication use, advancing age, female sex, and a particular class of pharmaceuticals. Prescribers must therefore be aware of and keep up with rapidly evolving pharmacological facts in this era of personalised medicine. Teratogenicity is the occurrence of congenital malformations and their causes due to teratogenic agents such as some viral, spirochetal, and protozoal infections, physical agents such as ionising radiations and excessive heat, and pharmaceutical drugs such as thalidomide, excessive vitamin A, corticosteroids, antiepileptic, antimalarial, anti-leishmaniasis, as well as antihypertensive drugs. The prevalence of congenital birth defects ranges from 2 to 5% in the first year following delivery. In this review, we have collected the information from review and research articles related to the drug induced diseases. This review is intended to aid the understanding of some basic concepts regarding the drug induced diseases. This tends to provide information about the some commonly occurring drug-induced disorders, the drugs responsible for inducing disorders, their prevention and some of the treatments.