title: [Allergy to beta-lactam antibiotics in childhood. Diagnostic problems].
abstract: This study reports about 126 children with an age ranging from 12 months to 12 years having RA to beta-lactamase. More children with an age ranging from 7-12 years (59.5%), and more male (65.9%) than female subjects were studied. 76 patients (60.3%) showed a familial anamnesis of allergic diseases or similar diseases and a personal anamnesis of allergic diseases (45.2%). Among the RA responsible substances the more frequent were semisynthetic penicillin (44.6%) followed by cephalosporin and penicillin. Most clinical manifestations (87.3%) were cutaneous reactions and in smaller number of cases it was possible to observe gastroenteric or respiratory reactions. In 121 patients cutaneous tests were undertaken (Prick tests and intradermoreactions), patch tests, employing: PPL, MDM, Penicillin, Ampicillin, Cephaloridine. 5.8% of the studied subjects showed an allergy. Particularly 2.4% showed a "early" positivity. RAST was carried out in 92 patients and 3 of them showed a positive result (3.2%). This study stresses the opportunity to carry out allergologic tests within 6 months since the beginning of RA. In fact especially in children this test result can soon become negative. Furthermore the reduced percentage of positive allergologic tests can be due to the inclusion in other studies of patients with "coincidental reactions". A certain number of RA can be caused by additive to "per os" products. Finally it will be possible to use "tests dose" even in selectioned cases. These tests can frequently exclude the etiopathogenetic responsibility of beta-lactamic substances.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Clinica Medica, U.C.S.C., Roma, Italia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Venuti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pocobelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rumi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Melaranci
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D047090:beta-Lactams
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D047090:beta-Lactams
vernacular_title: Allergia agli antibiotici beta-lattamici in età pediatrica. Problemi diagnostici.