Management of the patient reporting an allergy to penicillin.
Recent emphasis on the prevention of surgical wound infection has highlighted the role of the anesthesiologist as the physician responsible for administering appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis. Patients often report a distant or unclear history of penicillin allergy. Administering an antibiotic to which the patient has a true allergy can provoke a life threatening reaction. The anesthesiologist should be aware of the prevalence, severity, and manifestations of allergies to antibiotics, as well as the available alternatives. Unnecessary administration of more powerful broad-spectrum antibiotics leads to the development of antimicrobial resistance and should be avoided. It is the anesthesiologists' duty to balance these issues when selecting appropriate antibiosis.
Department of Anesthesia, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Ethan Oliver
EO
Bryson
Elizabeth A M
EA
Frost
Meg A
MA
Rosenblatt
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D010406:Penicillins / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins