Cephalosporins can be prescribed safely for penicillin-allergic patients

Journal of Family Practice, Feb, 2006 by Michael E. Pichichero

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FAST TRACK Penicillin compounds contaminated with cephalosporins led to the erroneous assumption of 10% cross-reactivity

FAST TRACK Help patients reconstruct the "allergic" episode to rule out non-immunologic adverse events that do not contraindicate cephalosporins

FAST TRACK Even for patients truly allergic to penicillin, the risk of a reaction from a cephalosporin with a different side chain is quite low

Michael E. Pichichero, MD University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY

CORRESPONDENCE

Michael E. Pichichero, MD, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 672, Rochester, New York 14642. E-mail: Michael_pichichero@urmc.rochester.edu