title: Antibiotic selection in the penicillin-allergic patient.
abstract: Clinicians should be familiar with which antibiotics are safe to use for different types of penicillin-allergic reactions. Clinically, it is convenient to divide patients with penicillin allergy into three categories: those with unknown or possible reactions to penicillin, those with a drug fever or rash, and those with hives or anaphylactic reactions. Beta-lactam antibiotics may be used safely for patients with unknown/possible penicillin allergy and drug fever or rash. Penicillins or beta-lactams should not be used for patients with hives or anaphylactic reactions. For all patients, clinicians should consider antimicrobial therapy with an antibiotic that does not cross-react with penicillins or beta-lactams. This article reviews how clinicians should select antimicrobials in penicillin-allergic patients.
authors.affiliation: State University of New York School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Burke A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Cunha
mesh_terms: D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000139:chemically induced; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D005076:Exanthema / Q000139:chemically induced; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology*; D010406:Penicillins / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D014581:Urticaria / Q000139:chemically induced; D047090:beta-Lactams / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D010406:Penicillins; D047090:beta-Lactams