A rapid desensitization protocol in a case of drotaverine‑induced serum sickness-like reaction in a pregnant woman: A case report
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- Published online on: November 7, 2019 https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2019.8170
- Pages: 5105-5107
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Abstract
Drotaverine is an antispasmodic drug used to treat gastrointestinal and genitourinary smooth muscle spasms. There are very few hypersensitivity reactions reported. Serum sickness‑like disease is an immune‑complex‑mediated hypersensitivity reaction that presents with some typical features that include rash, fever and articular impairment sometimes associated with liver and renal dysfunctions, beginning 1‑2 weeks after exposure to a culprit drug. Diagnosis is a clinical one, made usually on the basis of knowledge obtained by medical history and physical examination. Desensitization usually is recommended for type I reaction, but may be a solution for this type of immunological reaction when other therapeutic alternatives are ineffective or do not exist. We report the case of a 29‑year‑old pregnant female who developed serum sickness‑like reaction after 5 days of daily drotaverine oral administration. The patient required antispasmodic treatment, with this drug, having a pregnancy with an imminent risk of abortion and the other therapeutic alternatives being ineffective. She underwent a rapid 7‑step oral drotaverine desensitization protocol without recurrence of serum sickness‑like reaction. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of desensitization to drotaverine, previously involved in a serum sickness‑like reaction.
