title: Clinical importance of carbapenem hypersensitivity in patients with self-reported and documented penicillin allergy.
abstract: The risk of carbapenem hypersensitivity in patients with self-reported or documented penicillin allergy needs to be determined so that practitioners can make better-informed decisions regarding antibiotic therapy for this patient population. The risk of cross-reactivity between penicillin and carbapenem antibiotics initially was reported to approach 50%. Recent retrospective studies have suggested that the clinical risk of cross-hypersensitivity between these two drug classes is 9.2-11%, which is significantly lower than initially reported. Patients whose history of penicillin allergy is self-reported and is not type 1 may be at moderate risk for hypersensitivity when treated with a carbapenem antibiotic. The risk of hypersensitivity appears to be higher in patients whose penicillin allergy was documented by a health care provider, those with several antibiotic allergies, and those with a positive penicillin skin test result or a history of type 1 penicillin hypersensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260-1200, USA. prescott@buffalo.edu
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Prescott
authors.forename: Kristen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kusmierski
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015780:Carbapenems / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D010406:Penicillins / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015780:Carbapenems; D010406:Penicillins