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Most people who think they are allergic to penicillin actually aren’t

19/11/2019

Penicillin was discovered by chance in 1928 when Alexander Fleming noticed it had powerful antibacterial properties. Fast forward to the 1940s and penicillin was being commonly used in the fight against deadly infections. But penicillin is not for everyone and some people are allergic to the popular antibiotic. If someone has ever had a reaction to the drug, their medical records usually contain a note of this “fact”. However, new research suggests that many people who believe they are allergic to penicillin may have outgrown their allergy, or they may not have been allergic in the first place. In fact, the research shows that as many as nine in 10 people who think they are allergic to penicillin may not be. Speaking at the ACAAI Annual Scientific Meeting 2019 in Houston, TX, the researchers added that some patient’s penicillin allergies remain on their medical records even if they test negative later in life. “Our study found that of the 52 patients who tested negative to penicillin and were interviewed, 98% understood they were not allergic to penicillin,” said lead author, Dr. Sonam Sani, an allergist, immunologist, and fellow of the ACAAI. “Of those, 29% still had a penicillin allergy label in their electronic medical record, and 24% still carried the label in their pharmacy records,” she added. The research is important because it highlights just how easy it is for someone to assume they have a penicillin allergy when, in fact, they don’t. Many penicillin alternatives are more expensive, have lower efficacy, and risk boosting antibiotic resistance.

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