The following is a summary of “Direct challenges are the gold standard for most antibiotic allergy evaluations,” published in the October 2023 issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology by Ramsey, et al.
Antibiotic-sensitive patients comprise a significant percentage of the overall patient population in clinical practice. It is advantageous not only to the health of individuals but also to the community’s health to remove the stigma connected with antibiotic allergies. The primary objective of this research was to collect evidence in favor of administering graded challenges to adult patients about the primary antibiotic classes without previously subjecting these individuals to skin testing.
The purpose of the data collection was to provide information that may be utilized in clinical practice. Patients might be of any age, ranging from very small toddlers to elderly people in their last years. Penicillins, cephalosporins, sulfamethoxazole, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, macrolides, metronidazole, carbapenems, and aztreonam are only a few of the antibiotic groups that fall under this umbrella category.
In addition, this paper evaluates and discusses the data that supports carrying out graded challenges to penicillins in settings other than allergy and immunology clinics. Hospitals, universities, and research labs are all examples of these settings. The explanation takes into account this factor in addition to the time savings and cost savings that are connected with selecting this alternative.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1081120623002508
