SEATTLE, Wash. – Penicillin and drugs in the penicillin family are some of the most used antibiotics in the world. About 10% of people in the U.S. think they are allergic to it, but more than nine out of 10 of them aren’t allergic at all.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that is a concern because they could be given an antibiotic that either doesn’t work or has bad side effects.
Barbara Clements wants to know if she’s allergic to penicillin. Both her husband and daughter believe they are. Her dad, too.
“I remember as a child, growing up, he was very careful about it. And so I was just wondering if it was hereditary,” Clements said
Seth Cohen, MD, MSc, says the nine out of 10 people that wrongly think they’re allergic to penicillin may be putting themselves at risk.
This is especially true for patients who are elderly, immunosuppressed, pregnant or need surgery.
Cohen said, “If you’re labeled as having a penicillin allergy, you may be unnecessarily placed on a broad-spectrum antibiotic that can lead to side effects or maybe less effective than something in the penicillin family.”
A skin scratch test can reveal whether a patient has a penicillin allergy in a little less than an hour.
“Skin testing is a rapid office-based procedure where we can de-list somebody’s penicillin allergy. That means we can tell them in the office that they do not have a penicillin allergy,” Cohen stated.
He puts penicillin or saline on the skin, scratches it in, marks it and waits for a reaction if there is one.
That means Clements is not allergic. Now she wants to get her husband and daughter tested.
Cohen says the skin test is safe and cost-effective, as it reduces the risk of complications in the hospital. Also, many people lose penicillin allergies in about 10 years, so he and the CDC suggest being re-evaluated.
Contributors to this news report include: Wendy Chioji, Field Producer; Bruce Maniscalco, Videographer; Cyndy McGrath, Supervising Producer; Roque Correa, Editor.