At the end of a prolonged course of penicillin therapy, a patient experiences hematuria and a sudden drop in hemoglobin. Which type of hypersensitivity should be suspected?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario suggests a Type II hypersensitivity reaction, where the immune system mistakenly targets and destroys the body's own cells. In this case, the penicillin therapy may have led to the formation of antibodies that target the red blood cells, causing hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells), which results in hematuria (blood in urine) and a sudden drop in hemoglobin.

At the End of a Prolonged Course of Penicillin Therapy