‘Amazing’ results from simple way to check for penicillin allergy
Giving patients a small dose of the antibiotic was as effective as skin prick testing, says Austin Hospital's Professor Jason Trubiano.
Giving patients who think they have a penicillin allergy a small dose of the antibiotic was as effective – but much cheaper – than skin prick testing, Melbourne researchers have found.
About two million Australians think they are allergic to penicillin, but the true number is closer to just 1% of the population, the researchers said.
Until recently, patients had to have skin prick testing to check for a reaction, but a simpler and cheaper method involving taking a small dose has been shown to be just as effective.
Some 382 patients who thought they were allergic took part in a study at Melbourne’s Austin Hospital but just two of them had a reaction.
