Correlation of airway hyper-responsiveness with obstructive spirometric indices and FEV(1) > 90% of predicted.

Background: Current published guidelines on spirometry interpretation suggest an elevated FVC and FEV(1) > 100% of predicted with an obstructive ratio may represent a physiological variant. There is minimal evidence whether this finding can be indicative of symptomatic airways obstruction.

Methods: Pulmonary function testing databases for a 4-year period were retrospectively reviewed.

Severe serum sickness reaction to oral and intramuscular penicillin.

Serum sickness is a type III hypersensitivity reaction mediated by immune complex deposition with subsequent complement activation, small-vessel vasculitis, and tissue inflammation. Although the overall incidence of serum sickness is declining because of decreased use of heterologous sera and improved vaccinations, rare sporadic cases of serum sickness from nonprotein drugs such as penicillins continue to occur. Drug-induced serum sickness is usually self-limited, with symptoms lasting only 1-2 weeks before resolving.