Rituximab bronchospasm

Rituximab -monoclonal antibody to CD20 (B-cell surface antigen) -fever, chills, malaise -nausea, vomiting -flushing -bronchospasm, angioedema, urticaria -rhinitis -pain at disease sites -tumor lysis syndrome may occur in patients with high peripheral lymphocyte count... 

Rituximab Fever chills rigors hypotension bronchospasm Bone marrow depression angioedema precipitation of angina or arrhythmia with pre-existing heart disease... 

A wide range of adverse events has been reported in most patients (5). A transient flu-hke syndrome is very common (50-90%), particularly after the first infusion of rituximab, and is often associated with various hypersen-sitivity-hke symptoms (5-20%). In the most severe cases, patients had hfe-threatening cytokine release syndrome with dyspnea, bronchospasm, hypoxia, hypotension, urticaria, and angioedema. Deaths have been reported in eight of 12 000-14 000 patients after drug launch. 

Infnsion reactions with rituximab are generally well tolerated, as with most monoclonal antibodies. Most reactions are limited to the first infusion, including nansea, chills, and fever. They occur in over 90% of patients. More serious is the cytokine-release syndrome, which occnrs within 60-90 minutes and is characterized by fever, chills, rigors, bronchospasm, hypoxia, hypotension, nrticaria, and angioedema. Infusion must be discontinued, and the patient carefully monitored with chest radiography and fluid and electrolyte assessment and treated with oxygen and bronchodUators. 

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