More people with allergic reactions to penicillin can tolerate 2nd doses

Many people who believe they’re allergic to penicillin might be able to tolerate the antibiotic.

Previous studies had found that about 60% of people who had an initial allergic reaction to penicillin suffered hives, wheezing or anaphylaxis after it was prescribed a second time.

But in reviewing 3 million electronic medical records of British patients who received penicillin from 1987 to September 2001, University of Pennsylvania researchers found that 6,000 suffered an initial allergic reaction. Of the 48% who got a second prescription, only 2% were allergic.

Because penicillin remains one of the cheapest and most effective antibiotics available, the study results suggest it could be useful in emergencies for some patients labeled as allergic or when alternatives are less effective against particular infections, said the study’s principal investigator, Dr. Andrea J. Apter, an allergist and immunologist.

The study appears in the April edition of the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology.

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Jane E. Allen