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Ronald D. Reynolds, MD
New Richmond, Ohio

JAMA. 1996;276(12):950.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

—I disagree with Dr Grammer's¹ admonition that all β-lactam drugs should be avoided in patients who experience a serum sickness reaction to cefaclor. He offers no firm evidence that these patients ever develop serum sickness from other β-lactam drugs. In fact, he cites an article that demonstrates that it is safe to give other cephalosporins to these patients.²

Over the past 9 years, my 3 partners and I have seen about 10 classic serum sickness reaction to cefaclor. We have not avoided subsequent prescription of β-lactam drugs in these patients. Although their reports are anecdotal, none of these patients has had a subsequent serum sickness reaction to any other β-lactam drug.

At the time of a 9-month-old patient's cefaclor serum sickness reaction in February 1991, I had a conversation with Jennifer Stotka, MD, at the Medical Department of Eli Lilly and Co, the manufacturer. I . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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