Using β-lactam antibiotics in patients with a history of β-lactam allergy: current concepts.

β-lactams are the most widely used antibiotic family, but they are also the most common cause of drug-induced hypersensitivity reactions. The estimated prevalence of reported penicillin allergy ranges between 9% and 12%, although a high percentage of patients with a history of penicillin allergy have no subsequent reactions on reexposure to β-lactams. A self-reported penicillin allergy has been associated with antimicrobial resistance, increased cost, intensive care admission, and death, making it essential to establish an accurate diagnosis.

Immunological aspects of nonimmediate reactions to beta-lactam antibiotics.

beta-lactam antibiotics are the agents most frequently implied in immune drug adverse reactions. These can be classified as immediate or nonimmediate according to the time interval between the last drug administration and their onset. Mechanisms of immediate IgE-mediated reactions are widely studied and are therefore better understood.