Cost Benefit of Removing the Penicillin Allergy Label from Nonallergic Patients

Most children with a reported allergy to penicillin are not actually allergic and could tolerate penicillin therapy. This is important because patients who report penicillin allergy spend more time in the hospital and have more exposure to broader-spectrum antibiotics.

In a previous study, researchers found that 76% of children who presented to a pediatric emergency department (PED) reporting penicillin allergy were at low risk for allergy based on a symptom questionnaire. Of 100 children subsequently tested, none were found to be allergic (NEJM JW Pediatr Adolesc Med Aug 2017 and Pediatrics 2017; 140:e20170471).

In the current follow-up of those 100 nonallergic children, investigators assessed subsequent antibiotic use and safety outcomes, a…