Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease
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Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Mar 2007
ReviewUse of selected cephalosporins in penicillin-allergic patients: a paradigm shift.
Recent analysis of clinical data and a clearer understanding of the role of chemical structure in the development of cross-reactivity indicate that the increased risk of an allergic reaction to certain cephalosporins in penicillin-allergic patients is smaller than previously postulated. Medline and EMBASE databases were searched using the following keywords: cephalosporin, penicillin, allergy, and cross-sensitivity for the years 1960 to 2005. Among 219 articles retrieved, 106 served as source material for this review. ⋯ Clinical challenges, skin testing, and monoclonal antibody studies point to the paramount importance of similarities in side chain structure to predict cross-allergy between cephalosporins and penicillins. First-generation cephalosporins have a modest cross-allergy with penicillins, but cross-allergy is negligible with 2nd- and 3rd-generation cephalosporins. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of chemical structure in determining the risk of cross-reactivity between specific agents.