title: Benefits of negative penicillin skin test results persist during subsequent hospital admissions.
abstract: For an initial series of 38 patients with negative skin test results, we reviewed retrospectively all subsequent admissions over a 2-year period. For 38 patients with negative initial skin test results, there were 48 subsequent readmissions to our institution, of which 35 required antibiotics. beta-lactams were prescribed for 86% of admissions; a penicillin for 37%, and a cephalosporin for 51%. All infections were cured, and there were no allergic drug reactions during any of the admissions that were reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02115, USA. eperence@caregroup.harvard.edu
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Perencevich
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Weller
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Samore
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000517:prevention & control; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012882:Skin Tests; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins; D010406:Penicillins