15 Infusion-related reactions Symptoms suggesting an acute infusion reaction (e. g. pruritis, fever, urticaria/ rash, chills, pyrexia, rigors, sneezing, angioneurotic edema, throat irritation, cough and bronchospasm, with or without associated hypotension or hypertension) were observed in 79/ 540 (15%) patients following their first exposure to MabThera; In a study comparing the effect of glucocorticoid regimen, these events were observed in 5/ 149 (3%) of patients following their first rituximab placebo infusion and 42/ 192 (22%) of patients receiving their first infusion of 1000 mg rituximab.