Related Experiment Videos
Anaphylactic reaction to oral cefaclor in a child
M Grouhi1, D Hummel, C M Roifman
1Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X8.
Insights
Adverse drug reactions are common, with antibiotics like cefaclor causing hypersensitivity. This case highlights a rare anaphylactic reaction to cefaclor in a young child.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Medicine
- Pharmacology
- Immunology
Background:
- Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) affect 6-15% of hospitalized patients, with immunologic reactions accounting for less than 25% of cases.
- Antibiotics are frequent culprits of drug hypersensitivity.
- Cefaclor, a second-generation cephalosporin, is widely prescribed for pediatric respiratory infections.
Observation:
- Cefaclor hypersensitivity commonly presents as skin eruptions or serum sickness-like reactions.
- Anaphylactic reactions to cefaclor, though rare, have been documented in adults.
- This report details a case of anaphylaxis to cefaclor in a 2.5-year-old patient.
Findings:
- The study presents a rare case of anaphylactic reaction to cefaclor in a pediatric patient.
- This finding underscores the potential for severe, immediate hypersensitivity reactions to cefaclor, even in young children.
Implications:
- Clinicians should be vigilant for cefaclor-induced anaphylaxis, particularly in pediatric populations.
- Understanding the spectrum of cefaclor hypersensitivity reactions is crucial for patient safety and appropriate management.
- This case contributes to the literature on rare but severe adverse drug reactions to commonly used antibiotics.
Abstract:
Adverse drug reactions are a common clinical problem. It has been estimated that 6% to 15% of hospitalized patients experience some sort of adverse drug reaction. Clinical manifestations of adverse drug reactions include skin rash; a serum sickness-like reaction; drug fever; pulmonary, hepatic, and renal involvement; and systemic anaphylaxis. Many of these adverse events are not immunologically mediated. Actual allergic or immunologic drug reactions probably account for <25% of adverse drug reactions overall. Antibiotics are one of the major contributors to drug hypersensitivity. Cefaclor, an oral second-generation cephalosporin with a beta-lactam ring, is used against various infectious diseases of the respiratory tract, especially in children. Several cases of cefaclor hypersensitivity have been reported. The most common presentations are either erythematous or papular eruptions, although serum sickness-like reactions have also been described. Anaphylactic reactions, although rare, have been observed in adults. Here we report a case of anaphylactic reaction to cefaclor in a 21/2-year-old patient.