Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: Is My Child Allergic to Penicillin?Penicillin is the most commonly used antibiotic in children.Most children labeled with a penicillin allergy are not truly allergic; however, the label leads to use of alternative antibiotics that have been associated with increased risk of treatment failures, resistant bacteria, serious adverse events, and Clostridium difficile infection (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2720732).Penicillin antibiotics belong to a large group of chemically related drugs called beta-lactam antibiotics, used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. How Common Is Penicillin Allergy Among Children?Ten percent of US children have been diagnosed as having a penicillin allergy.The most common penicillin allergy in childhood is an amoxicillin allergy.Most penicillin allergies in childhood are diagnosed before age 3 years.Most children with a penicillin allergy history are found not to be truly allergic when they are formally tested.Children can develop rashes when they have infections, and this can lead to a penicillin allergy misdiagnosis.
Authors: Kimberly G. Blumenthal, Erica S. Shenoy
Language: English
Subfield: Pharmacology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2946854844