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Antibiotic allergy is commonly reported in pediatric patients, and is usually based on parental history rather than allergy testing. When allergy is reported, an alternative, and sometimes broader, antibiotic is usually prescribed. Allergy to penicillin is the most commonly reported antibiotic allergy, and testing to confirm parental or patient history is available but rarely done.
Researchers identified nearly 600 children ages 3 to 18 years who presented to a single urban emergency department over a 19-month period and had history of parent-reported penicillin allergy. Parents completed a questionnaire about penicillin allergy symptoms; based on the responses, the researchers classified 434 children as having low-risk symptoms (non IgE med…