serum sickness

noun

Pathology.

1. a generalized allergic reaction to a foreign serum or drug, characterized by fever, skin rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and painful joints.

serum sickness

noun

1. an allergic reaction, such as vomiting, skin rash, etc, that sometimes follows 2-3 weeks after an injection of a foreign serum

Word History and Origins

Origin of serum sickness¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Another downside: In up to 5% of cases, the patient’s immune system reacts against the horse antibodies, a life-threatening side effect called “serum sickness.”

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