Antibiotic allergies in patients with and high risk for neutropenia: a quality improvement opportunity

Standard therapy for patients with neutropenic fever is treatment with an antipseudomonal antibiotic. Patients with a history of self-reported penicillin allergy are often given alternative antibiotic regimens; however, up to 90% of these patients do not have IgE-mediated hypersensitivity and thus are inappropriately labeled as allergic. The effects of documented penicillin allergy on outcomes have been recognized: higher hospital charges, increased risk for surgical complications, and recently, increased rates of clostridium difficile infection and mortality in patients with hematologic malignancies.

Source: Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology - November 1, 2018 Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: M. Straesser, D. Khokhar, W. Eschenbacher, L. Donohue, A. Ebers, J. Eby, M. Keng, L. Borish, T. Kyin Tags: A351 Source Type: research