A 12-year-old boy visited his pediatrician complaining of wo…
A 12-year-old boy visited his pediatrician complaining of worsening headache, congestion, and pain to his nose and forehead upon touch. His mother said he spiked a fever of 102°F the previous day. He was diagnosed with a sinus infection and given a subcutaneous injection of penicillin. Four days later the patient visited the emergency department with fever; chills; swelling in his hands, feet, ankles, and face; and a urticarial rash covering his abdomen and thighs. The patient was diagnosed with serum sickness and was given anti-inflammatory corticosteroids, after which his symptoms improved rapidly. Questions: Serum sickness involves deposition of immune complexes in local tissues causing inflammation. Describe the process of inflammation. Patients with serum sickness can have an increase in acute phase reactants (APR). List the most important acute phase reactants. What is the most important APR and its mechanism of action? Hint: Question #1
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