Untrue penicillin allergies and de-labelling spurious antibiotic allergy labels to combat AMR

January 26, 2022

Is it really a Penicillin Allergy?

Some facts about antibiotic allergy:

1. Penicillin are the most common antibiotic class prescribed globally and 6% of people living in England are labelled as having a penicillin allergy
2. Untrue penicillin allergy labels cause harm and can mean patients don’t receive the most effective antibiotic for their infection
3. 10% report penicillin allergy but less than 1% are truly allergic; 80% of those truly allergic can lose sensitivity in 10 years.
4. Use of alternatives to penicillin can lead to suboptimal treatment, increased risk of antibiotic resistance and higher healthcare cost.
5. Accurate documentation of suspected allergic reaction as per NICE guidance (CG183) would enable correct diagnosis and management.

In case of mild adverse reaction associated with an antibiotic, it is important to differentiate recognised pharmacological adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea from immunological hypersensitivity which can lead to anaphylaxis. IgE mediated allergy which can lead to anaphylaxis usually presents with itch, urticaria and angioedema with symptoms starting often within minutes, usually within one hour.

Be sure to check this video of Consultant Microbiology and Antimicrobial Stewardship lead Dr Taran Saluja share her thoughts on the need to tackle the silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance. 

Would you like to become an antibiotic champion? We are currently seeking clinical colleagues who want to become antibiotic champions. This could be nurses, junior doctors, ward managers, registrars, pharmacists, consultants, matrons and pharmacy technicians – anyone who is interested in helping to improve the use of antibiotics at the Trust to improve patient care and limit the spread of antibiotic resistance.

If this is something of interest to you, please see the antibiotic champion information sheet for further details.