Benefits of negative penicillin skin test results persist during subsequent hospital admissions.
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.
Perencevich
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EN
Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02115, USA. eperence@caregroup.harvard.edu
Weller
P F
PF
Samore
M H
MH
Harris
A D
AD
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
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins; D010406:Penicillins