title: Assessment of the validity of reported antibiotic allergic reactions in pediatric patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether a reported antibiotic allergy was likely to have been immunologically mediated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire-based study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care, freestanding children's hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred patients aged 1 month-18 years for whom guardians reported an allergy to an antibiotic at the time of hospital admission between October 2009 and March 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  guardians of the patients were interviewed by using a standardized allergy assessment questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on answers to the questionnaire, the reported allergic reactions were categorized to determine if they were true allergies or adverse reactions. Among the 100 patients, reported allergies were categorized as immunologically mediated reactions in 58%, non-immunologically mediated adverse drug reactions in 27%, no reaction in 3%, and unknown in 12%. Reactions to penicillins, cephalosporins, or sulfonamides were reported most frequently and were attributed to immunologically mediated reactions in 68% (26/38), 74% (17/23), and 67% (10/15) of instances, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of the allergy assessment questionnaire determined that 58% of the 100 reported antibiotic allergies fulfilled criteria for an immuno-logically mediated reaction. These findings underscore the utility of an allergy assessment questionnaire, versus a simple drug history, in improving the accuracy of reported antibiotic reactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Chad A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Knoderer
authors.forename: Elaine G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Martin B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Kleiman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents