Anaphylactic reaction to oral cefaclor in a child

Adverse drug reactions are a common clinical problem. It has been estimated (1) that 6% to 15% of hospitalized patients experience some sort of adverse drug reaction. Clinical manifestations of adverse drug reactions include s kin rash; a serum sickness-like reaction; drug fever; pulmonary, hepatic, a nd renal involvement; and systemic anaphylaxis. Many of these adverse event s are not immunologically mediated. Actual allergic or immunologic drug rea ctions probably account for <25% of adverse drug reactions overall.(1) Antibiotics are one of the major contributors to drug hypersensitivity. Cef aclor, an oral second-generation cephalosporin with a beta-lactam ring, is used against various infectious diseases of the respiratory tract, especial ly in children. Several cases of cefaclor hypersensitivity have been report ed.(2,3) The most common presentations are either erythematous or papular e ruptions, although serum sickness-like reactions have also been described. Anaphylactic reactions, although rare, have been observed in adults. Here w e report a case of anaphylactic reaction to cefaclor in a 21/2-year-old pat ient.