Testing patients to allow tailored drug treatment
BMJ 2005; 330 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.330.7487.352 (Published 10 February 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;330:352- Peter Leman, clinical senior lecturer (peter.leman@health.wa.gov.au)1⇑,
- Shaun Greene, associate specialist2
- 1University of Western Australia, Emergency Department, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia,
- 2National Poisons Information Service, Guy's and St Thomas's Hospital, London
- Correspondence to: P Leman
The application of pharmacogenetics in preventing adverse drug reactions as illustrated by Konstantopoulou et al1 is not new. In 510 bc Pythagoras observed that only some individuals—those with a deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)—developed a potentially fatal reaction after ingesting fava beans. For nearly 50 years anaesthetists have been identifying patients who may have a deficiency of normal plasma cholinesterase (leading to prolonged suxamethonium neuromuscular blockade or “scoline apnoea”) by taking a simple patient history.2
Although the development of modern pharmacogenetic assays designed to reduce the incidence of adverse drug reactions is still its infancy, the case presented by Konstantopoulou et al …
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