Antibiotic Prescriptions After Removal of Penicillin Allergy Label

Investigators from multiple institutions conducted a study to assess antibiotic usage, risk of allergic reaction, and cost savings in children previously classified as “penicillin allergic” who were “de-labeled” following penicillin allergy testing. The authors followed up a group of 100 children, labeled as penicillin allergic, who underwent 3-stage penicillin allergy testing in a previous study.¹ For that study, only children with symptoms considered low risk were enrolled; all 100 were de-labeled as penicillin allergic based on allergy testing results. For the current project, parents of the 100 children were contacted and asked about antibiotic prescriptions for their child subsequent to being de-labeled. Each child’s primary care provider was contacted to confirm the antibiotic prescriptions identified by the parent and any symptoms of allergic reactions.

Data on the …