title: Utility of desensitisation for allergy to antibiotics.
abstract: Immediate-type allergic reactions to medication are potentially life threatening and can hamper the drug therapy of several medical conditions. If no alternative drug treatment is available, a desensitisation procedure may secure the continuation of necessary therapy by inducing a temporal state of tolerance. Desensitisation is only appropriate in case of a strong suspicion of an IgE-mediated allergic reaction. It should be performed by trained clinicians (allergy specialists) in a hospital setting where treatment of a potential anaphylactic reaction can be done without any delay. In this article, literature describing desensitisation procedures for several antibiotics is reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Allergology, Diaconessenhuis Voorburg, RdGG, Delft, the Netherlands. grooth@rdgg.nl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.forename: W M C
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Terreehorst
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000276:immunology*; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000379:methods*; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007073:Immunoglobulin E