Serum Sickness
Health is not valued till sickness comes - Thomas Fuller
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Briefs: Serum sickness like reaction
You are seeing a child who is well appearing but has a dramatic rash. The rash appeared this morning and seemed to begin on her torso, later spreading to her limbs. The daycare thought that it was an allergy and was going to give her another child’s EpiPen, despite no respiratory symptoms and no history of previous allergy in the patient. Discretion won out, and the EpiPen was not given and the child was referred to the ED.
You learn that she has had a fever to 38.9 C for 2 days, and her feet appear to be slightly swollen. This hasn’t limited her ability to walk, run or jump. Mom denies history of vomiting or diarrhea. there are no respiratory symptoms. She has no involvement of…
Resources
Serum Sickness-Like Reaction in Children: Review of the Literature
Serum sickness-like reaction (SSLR) is an acute inflammatory condition affecting children and adults characterised by the development of erythematous skin lesions and joint swelling with or without fever. Although these features resemble the ones seen in patients with classic serum sickness, the precise pathophysiology of SSLR remains unclear.
Serum Sickness-like Reaction Possibly Associated with Meropenem Use
Serum sickness-like reactions most commonly occur secondary to drug administration. We describe a serum sickness—like reaction that was possibly associated with meropenem therapy.
Serum Sickness
The incidence of serum sickness is decreasing as a result of public health vaccination programs that have decreased the need for specific antitoxins. Also, many horse serum antitoxins have been refined of the antigenic components that cause serum sickness.
Briefs: Serum sickness like reaction
Serum sickness is a heterogeneous clinical entity where you will see variable rash, fever and polyarthlralgias. It begins 1 to 2 weeks following exposure to an offending agent. The offending agent varies, but the most common identifiable agents are antibiotics...
emDocs
Serum Sickness and “Serum Sickness-Like Reactions” are similar in presentation.
Pediatric EM Morsels
It is a self-limited condition, but the presentation can be quite dramatic and concerning to families. 50% of children, in one study, required hospitalization due to severe symptoms. Serum Sickness – Like Reaction. Often used when referring to medication associated reactions. Differs from Serum Sickness in that it infrequently has associated proteinuria and lymphadenopathy.
Pediatric Focus
Serum sickness like reactions are characterized by fever, pruritis, urticaria, and arthralgias that usually begin 1–3 weeks after drug exposure. Laboratory studies may show leukocytosis, elevated ESR, and proteinuria or haematuria. Treatment includes withdrawal of the inciting agent and symptomatic treatment with antihistamines, corticosteroids, and/or antipyretic.
HealthTap
Doctor insights on: Serum Sickness Like Syndrome.
MedlinePlus
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.
StatPearls
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. The symptoms typically occur one to two weeks after exposure to an offending agent and resolve within several weeks of discontinuation. [1] It is a self-limited disease process with an excellent prognosis.
Up to Date
The cardinal features of serum sickness are rash, fever, and polyarthralgias or polyarthritis, which begin one to two weeks after the first exposure to the responsible agent and resolve within a few weeks of discontinuation. Although patients may appear very ill and uncomfortable during the acute febrile stage, the disease is self-limited and prognosis is excellent once the responsible drug is stopped.
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