Double check patients with ' penicillin allergy ' to avoid increased MRSA risk.

Healthcare staff should be aware of this and ensure that only people with a true allergy to penicillin are documented as such, NICE is urging. Incorrectly identifying people as allergic could also contribute to antimicrobial resistance, as these people are likely to instead be given broad-spectrum antibiotics. The warning comes in a new medicines evidence commentary (MEC) on research conducted in the UK and published in the BMJ in June 2018.

http://cash.libraryservices.nhs.uk/database/?entryid20=68160

Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - January 9, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news