Natural evolution of skin test sensitivity in patients allergic to β-lactam antibiotics☆,☆☆,★
Section snippets
Subjects
All patients who came to our clinic as a consequence of having had an immediate allergic reaction to a penicillin derivative by the oral or parenteral routes were eligible for inclusion in the study. Those with a positive skin test response to at least 1 of the penicillin determinants mentioned below were followed. To avoid any inadvertent contact during the follow-up period, we excluded those patients potentially exposed to penicillins, such as health care workers, pharmacists, veterinarians,
RESULTS
Fifty-five patients in whom an immediate allergic reaction to a penicillin derivative developed and who had positive skin test responses to at least 1 penicillin determinant were included in the study. Thirty-one had positive skin test responses to BPO and/or MDM, and these patients formed group A. The clinical characteristics of these patients and the drug eliciting the reaction are presented in Table I.Patient Age (y)
DISCUSSION
In this study we followed prospectively the evolution of skin test sensitivity in 2 groups of subjects with an allergic reaction to a β-lactam derivative and in whom a type I reaction was demonstrated by the presence of specific skin sensitizing IgE antibodies to 1 or more penicillin determinants. The same protocol for evaluation and immunologic tests was used throughout the study. Although a number of studies indicate that subjects with penicillin-induced allergic reactions gradually lose
Acknowledgements
We thank Ian Johnstone for help with the English language version of the text.
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2023, Saudi Pharmaceutical JournalCitation Excerpt :It has been proven that a considerable number of patients could potentially tolerate the use of penicillin safely after such time. About 80% of patients lose their penicillin sensitivity and may tolerate penicillin after ten years (Blanca et al., 1999). Efforts have been made to assess penicillin allergy status by taking a more detailed history from patients to differentiate tolerability issues from allergic reactions.
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Supported in part by CICYT Grant SAF-240/96, BIOTECH ERB BIO4-CT96-0246 EEC Grant, the Fundación Carlos Haya, and Fundatione OASI María Santísima, Troina, Italy.
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Reprint requests: Miguel Blanca, MD, PhD, Allergy Laboratory, Carlos Haya Hospital, Avd Carlos Haya s/n, 29010-Malaga, Spain
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0091-6749/99 $8.00 + 0 1/1/96023