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On Sept. 28 in 1928, penicillin was discovered. Today, about 10% of the population report having a penicillin allergy, though 9 in 10 of those who report the allergy do not actually have it.

Misdiagnosis can occur in childhood, as providers may take symptoms of the infection as signs of penicillin allergy.

Correctly labeling allergies is crucial, and can save patients hundreds of dollars in medications, and countless hours of testing. Not to mention, using penicillin stand ins when unnecessary risks antimicrobial resistance.


“A lot of kids get penicillin or amoxicillin when they get sick because that is the normal tendency to treat respiratory infections,” said Mildred Kwan, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine. “The problem is that children can get rashes with infections, especially viral infections, even without treatment with antibiotics. But if they got a penicillin to treat the infection, the practitioner attributes the rash to the use of the penicillin. One major issue is that many providers have a misperception about what is considered to be a drug allergy,”

 

For more information, visit Penicillin Allergy Assessment Tool Kit | Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (unc.edu)