CDC: Physicians should confirm patients’ penicillin allergies
New research from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points to evidence that many patients who claim they have a penicillin allergy may actually not have one.
Right now, about 30 million people would say they are allergic to penicillin, which can be dangerous when physicians are looking for alternative antibiotics to give them. Some of those alternative medications can be more toxic and carry higher rates of infections and morbidity.
The CDC is suggesting that physicians evaluate patients who say they have a penicillin allergy, which is about 10 percent of U.S. hospital patients, and test to see if they really have it. Studies show that less than 1 percent of Americans are allergic to penicillin.
"Some patients who report penicillin allergies may never have had true allergies,” said CDC epidemiologist Katherine Fleming-Dutra, MD, in a statement. “They may have had side effects or a symptom of the underlying illness that was interpreted as an allergy, such as a viral exanthema or rash in a child on amoxicillin.”
Senior Writer
As a Senior Writer for TriMed Media Group, Katherine primarily focuses on producing news stories, Q&As and features for Cardiovascular Business. She reports on several facets of the cardiology industry, including emerging technology, new clinical trials and findings, and quality initiatives among providers. She is based out of TriMed's Chicago office and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared in Modern Healthcare, Crain's Chicago Business and The Detroit News. She joined TriMed in 2016.