title: Practical management of antibiotic allergy in adults.
abstract: This review looks at the main issues around immediate hypersensitivity and the role and limitations of testing. The majority of literature on antibiotic hypersensitivity relates to β-lactam antibiotics, mainly because of the heavy usage of this class of drugs. Concerns around cross-reactivity always worry clinicians, particularly in the emergency situation. Reasonable data now exist in relation to β-lactam antibiotics and derivatives, which enable appropriate risk management to be undertaken. The available literature for other classes of antibiotics is also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Fremantle Hospital and PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Fremantle, Perth, Australia. andymctooke@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McLean-Tooke
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aldridge
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stroud
authors.forename: Gavin P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Spickett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods; D047090:beta-Lactams / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D047090:beta-Lactams