• Gonzalo Alvarez del Real, Mark E Rose, Maria T Ramirez-Atamoros, Jeffrey Hammel, Steven M Gordon, Alejandro C Arroliga, and Mercedes E Arroliga.
• Department of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
• Ann. Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2007 Apr 1; 98 (4): 355-9.

BackgroundVancomycin and fluoroquinolones are commonly used in patients with a history of penicillin allergy.ObjectiveTo determine the safety and utility of penicillin skin testing (PST).MethodsRetrospective study of patients with a history of penicillin allergy between April 1, 1999, and September 30, 2004. Penicillin skin testing was performed by means of standard methods using benzylpenicilloyl-polysine, penicillin G, and histamine and saline controls.ResultsOf 596 patients studied, 25.3% were outpatients, 50.3% were inpatients, and 24.3% were intensive care unit patients. The most common antibiotics used during the time of PST were vancomycin and fluoroquinolones. Results of PST were negative in 88.4% of patients, positive in 8.2%, and indeterminate in 3.4%. One patient (0.17%) developed urticaria immediately after PST. Fifty-five percent of patients with negative PST results were changed to a beta-lactam drug, more frequently in the intensive care unit vs the outpatient setting (70.3% vs 8.6%; P < .001) and in adults vs patients younger than 18 years (58.6% vs 8.1%; P < .001). A beta-lactam antibiotic was used in 290 patients with negative PST results. Of the patients given beta-lactam antibiotics, 5 (1.7%) had adverse reactions: 2 had hives after 16 and 20 days of therapy, 1 had a nonspecific rash after 17 days of therapy, 1 had flushing and urticaria 3 hours after a test dose of piperacillin-tazobactam, and 1 had a pruritic rash after 12 hours of therapy.ConclusionsPatients with a history of penicillin allergy can safely use beta-lactam drugs if negative PST results.

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