Serum sickness is an ailment that belongs to the category of allergic diseases. It develops because the human body does not perceive the foreign protein that has entered it, which has in the composition of therapeutic sera introduced during various infectious diseases.
Symptoms of serum sickness
At the heart of the mechanism of the development of serum sickness is always the spontaneous formation of protective immune complexes. This process is triggered in response to the introduction of various foreign proteins both within a few hours after the injection, and after 1-3 weeks. The degree of intensity of the symptoms of this disease can be completely different. They may be almost invisible, but sometimes serum sickness can cause anaphylactic shock , which leads to death.
At the first stages, this disease manifests itself with a strong reddening of the skin. Most often, such a skin reaction appears in the places where the injection was performed. But with a higher degree of disease, there are such symptoms of serum sickness as:
- pronounced and incessant itching;
- local temperature increase;
- rash of various forms (most often it is similar to a rash with scarlet fever or a measles rash).
Affected joints with this disease swell and swell. In these places, pain of varying intensity can even be felt. In some cases, the patient may increase lymph nodes. But this pathological process proceeds almost imperceptibly, since pain sensations do not occur in this case.
Serum sickness can provoke respiratory or heart failure. In this case, the patient has cyanotic skin, tachycardia and mucous membranes, coughing, shortness of breath, vomiting and diarrhea. Also this ailment can affect the liver. Then the patient has indigestion and yellowing of the skin.
Diagnosis of serum sickness
Diagnosis of the syndrome of serum sickness is based only on the characteristic acute manifestations that appear after the recent introduction into the body of homo- or heterologous sera, as well as other preparations with a foreign protein. The symptomatology of serum sickness is similar to manifestations of severe infectious diseases, so for effective treatment it is important to completely exclude differential diagnoses. For this, the patient needs:
- Undergo a polymerase chain reaction.
- Determine the amount of antibodies in the blood.
- Make crops on various nutrient media, general and biochemical blood analysis.
- Pass the X-ray and ultrasound.
Treatment of serum sickness
Hospitalization for this disease is mandatory. Urgent help with serum sickness includes the administration of 10 ml of a 10% solution of gluconate or calcium chloride and the use of Suprastin or Dimedrol (for mild disease) or the administration of Prednisolone at a dose of 20 mg / day (with severe disease). In acute attacks
If the respiratory tract and the cardiovascular system are affected, the patient should be provided with artificial lung ventilation and oxygen therapy.
During and after the completion of the treatment of serum sickness, any contact of the patient with those substances that cause such an allergy should be minimized. This is necessary because relapses of the disease always occur in more complex and very painful forms. Their treatment will be longer and more chemicals will be needed.