The Impact of Patient-Reported Penicillin Allergy on Risk for Surgical Site Infection in Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Background: Penicillin (PCN) allergy is reported in 10% to 20% of the population; studies show that only 1% to 3% of patients have a true allergy. Most patients reporting a PCN allergy receive second-line antibiotic prophylaxis preoperatively, which raises concerns about antimicrobial efficacy. Studies also suggest that second-line antibiotics may increase the rate of surgical site infection (SSI).

Improving hospital performance in the treatment of febrile neutropenia.

Purpose: Febrile neutropenia (FN) remains a common and dangerous complication of cancer treatment. Guidelines from the Infectious Disease Society of America urge initiating antibiotics within 2 h of presentation. We reviewed our institution's performance to identify areas of needed improvement and to design performance improvement steps.