Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Sep;39(9):835-839.
doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000002746.

Drug Provocation Tests for Assessing Antibiotic Hypersensitivity: Is Shorter Also Better?

Miguel García-Boyano  1 , Carmen Gómez-Traseira  2 , Ana María Umpiérrez  2 , Santiago Quirce  2 , Teresa Boyano-Martínez  2
Affiliations

Drug Provocation Tests for Assessing Antibiotic Hypersensitivity: Is Shorter Also Better?

Miguel García-Boyano et al. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2020 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Suspected antibiotic hypersensitivity in children is a frequent reason for consultation. Skin test performance and drug provocation test (DPT) duration are controversial issues. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of diagnostic tests used in the study of antibiotic hypersensitivity and to estimate an optimal duration for DPT.

Methods: Sixty-two children with a suspected hypersensitivity reaction to antibiotics were studied. Skin tests were performed on all patients. In the case of negative results, DPTs were performed for a duration similar to the time elapsed from the start of treatment until the onset of the reaction.

Results: The frequency of antibiotic hypersensitivity in the study population was 8.1% (5 of 62). Only 1 patient showed positive skin tests. The other allergic patients were diagnosed by DPT, which reproduced the reaction within the first 6 hours in all but one of them.

Conclusions: Shortening DPT duration may decrease the sensitivity of the test for the diagnosis of non-IgE-mediated hypersensitivity; however, it should be considered as an opportunity to reduce the resulting microbial resistances.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Ibáñez Sandín MD, Olaguíbel Rivera JM. Alergia infantil. In: SEAIC, ed. Alergológica 2015. 2017:Madrid: Draft grupo de comunicación healthcare; 276–333.
    1. Confino-Cohen R, Rosman Y, Meir-Shafrir K, et al. Oral challenge without skin testing safely excludes clinically significant delayed-onset penicillin hypersensitivity. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2017;5:669–675.
    1. Vyles D, Chiu A, Simpson P, et al. Parent-reported penicillin allergy symptoms in the pediatric emergency department. Acad Pediatr. 2017;17:251–255.
    1. Dávila IJ, Jáuregui I, Olaguibel JM. Tratado de Alergología. 2016.2nd ed. Majadahonda (Madrid): Ergon.
    1. Ibáñez MD, Rodríguez Del Río P, Lasa EM, et al.; Penicillin Allergy in Children (APENIN) Task Force. Pediatric Allergy Committee, Spanish Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC). Prospective assessment of diagnostic tests for pediatric penicillin allergy: from clinical history to challenge tests. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2018;121:235–244.e3.