Q. Can prednisone cause serum sickness?
330(Three case reports of severe serum sickness-like reactions in adults after receiving oral penicillin and symptom resolution occuring within 24 hours of starting therapy with oral prednisone 40 to 60mg daily.)
Q. What drugs cause serum sickness-like reaction?
Causes. Agents that have been implicated in serum sickness–like reactions include cefaclor, amoxicillin, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, ciprofloxacin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, barbiturates, carbamazepine, propranolol, thiouracil, and allopurinol.
Q. What type of reaction is serum sickness-like reaction?
Serum sickness is an immune-complex-mediated hypersensitivity reaction that classically presents with fever, rash, polyarthritis or polyarthralgias. It was first recognized as an entity in the early 1900s in patients who had received heterologous antisera, which was historically used to treat infectious diseases.
Q. What causes serum sickness in children?
Childhood serum sickness is a rare allergic disease that follows the administration of a foreign antigenic material, most commonly caused by injecting a protein or haptenic drug.
Q. What does serum sickness feel like?
The three main symptoms of serum sickness include fever, rash, and painful swollen joints. Other possible symptoms of serum sickness include: hives. muscle pain and weakness.
Q. Is serum sickness fatal?
Serum sickness is typically self-limited and resolves within days. The prognosis of serum sickness in patients without internal organ involvement is good. Although occasional reports show mortality resulting from progressive glomerulonephritis or severe neurological complications.
Q. What is serum syndrome?
Serum sickness is a reaction that is similar to an allergy. The immune system reacts to medicines that contain proteins used to treat immune conditions. It can also react to antiserum, the liquid part of blood that contains antibodies given to a person to help protect them against germs or poisonous substances.
Q. What type of hypersensitivity is serum sickness?
Serum sickness — Serum sickness is the prototypic example of the Gell and Coombs “type III” or immune complex-mediated hypersensitivity disease (table 1) [2].
Q. How do you describe a serum sickness rash?
A rash caused by a serum sickness-like reaction is usually very itchy and develops a bruise-like coloring. Your doctor may also test your blood for the presence of immune complexes. If you have this type of molecule in your blood, you likely have serum sickness, not a serum sickness-like reaction.
Q. Is serum sickness an autoimmune disease?
During serum sickness, the immune system falsely identifies a protein in antiserum as a harmful substance (antigen). The result is an immune system response that attacks the antiserum. Immune system elements and the antiserum combine to form immune complexes, which cause the symptoms of serum sickness.
Q. Is serum sickness life threatening?
Serum sickness usually improves in 7 to 10 days, with full recovery in 2 to 4 weeks. However, it may lead to nervous system disorders and a life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, so it is important to get medical treatment.
Q. How do you get rid of serum sickness?
Treatment for serum sickness is aimed at reducing symptoms. Your doctor may prescribe antihistamines or analgesics (NSAIDs), along with topical medications to relieve itching or rash. In serious cases, your doctor may prescribe corticosteroids, such as prednisone. Normally, there is no need for hospitalization.
