Occupational Asthma following Inhalation of Cimetidine and Amoxicillin Powder

Abstract

There have been very few reported cases of worker in the pharmaceutical industry with allergies caused by handling amoxicillin and cimetidine. In this paper, we repon a case of occupational asthma and rhinitis caused by both cimetidine and amoxicillin in a worker who handled powders to make tablets. His bronchial sensitivity was confirmed by separate specific bronchoprovocation tests with cimetidine and amoxicillin powders. Skin prick test and patch test revealed negative responses both to cimetidine and amoxicillin powders.

This is the first case of occupational asthma caused by dual sensitization to cimetidine and amoxicillin in a single exposed worker. Further studies are needed to investigate the pathogenic mechanism of bronchoconstriction triggered by cimetidine and amoxicillin.