Penicillin Hypersensitivity

1979 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 132-158

A (massive) multicenter study of 3,000 patients has demonstrated that skin tests to penicillin G and penicilloyl-polylysine (PPL-now commercially available) predict and confirm penicillin allergy. Of patients with a history of penicillin reaction, 19% were positive to either, compared to 7% of controls. A history of anaphylaxis led to 46% positive. Of those with a history of urticaria 17% were positive, and those with maculopapular eruptions did not differ from controls (7% positive). Challenge with penicillin led to a reaction in 6% with a positive history (compared to 2% with a negative) and 67% with a combined positive history and positive skin test (to either).

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1968 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 342-348
Author(s):  
Melvin S. Rosh ◽  
Henry R. Shinefield

Skin and circulating antibodies against penicillin were determined in 73 children with a positive history of penicillin allergy and 99 children with a negative history of penicillin allergy. Eight percent with positive histories had positive skin tests to benzylpenicillin and a degradation product of penicillin (penicilloyl-polylysine), and/or positive hemagglutination tests for circulating penicillin antibodies. One individual had detectable skin antibodies without circulating penicillin antibodies; and conversely, one patient with circulating antibodies did not have any evidence of skin antibodies. The absence of penicillin antibodies in 85% of those children with a rash following the administration of penicillin confirms the suspicion that physicians are over diagnosing penicillin hypersensitivity in children. With the use of an inhibitor of penicilloyl-polylysine (penicilloyl epsilon-aminocaproate), data is presented which suggests that all positive skin tests to penicilloyl-polylysine may not be due to an antibody-antigen reaction. The authors recommend that any child who has suspected penicillin allergy should be tested for skin and circulating antibodies no less than 1 month and no more than 1 year following the untoward reaction. Observations suggest that a patient without penicillin antibodies may tolerate penicillin therapy with no adverse reaction. However, until further experience is obtained, penicillin should not be used indiscriminately in the absence of penicillin antibodies.


Author(s):  
Kate W. Sjoerdsma ◽  
W. James Metzger

Eosinophils are important to the pathogenesis of allergic asthma, and are increased in bronchoalveolar lavage within four hours after bronchoprovocation of allergic asthmatic patients, and remain significantly increased up to 24 hours later. While the components of human eosinophil granules have been recently isolated and purified, the mechanisms of degranulation have yet to be elucidated.We obtained blood from two volunteers who had a history of allergic rhinitis and asthma and a positive skin test (5x5mm wheal) to Alternaria and Ragweed. Eosinophils were obtained using a modification of the method described by Roberts and Gallin.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 676-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Line Kring Tannert ◽  
Charlotte Gotthard Mortz ◽  
Per Stahl Skov ◽  
Carsten Bindslev-Jensen

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1973 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-309
Author(s):  
Renee K. Bergner

In its statement, "Anaphylaxis," The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs states in part: "If there is a possibility of sensitivity to . . . penicillin, skin testing for immediate hypersensitivity to the agent should be performed prior to its therapeutic administration."1 The Penicillin Study Group of the American Academy of Allergy reported in 1971 that only 17 (30.4%) of 56 patients with a history of immediate (including anaphylactic) reactions to penicillin exhibited positive skin tests to penicillin G.2


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1965 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 422-425
Author(s):  
SUSAN S. ARONSON ◽  
MARTHA L. LEPOW

The mumps skin test, developed by Enders et al., in 1945, has been especially useful in identifying individuals who are immune to mumps either as a result of clinical illness caused by the mumps virus or a subclinical infection. A positive skin test can be demonstrated in 98% of persons who have a rise in complement-fixing antibody titer to mumps virus, and skin hypersensitivity may develop from 1 week to 3 months after infection. Although repeated skin tests with mumps antigen are not commonly performed, occasionally it is necessary to repeat a skin test within a few months or a year after a previous one.


1996 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kitaw Demissie ◽  
Pierre Ernst ◽  
Margaret R Becklake

BACKGROUND:Variation in the prevalence of allergic disorders among socioeconomic groups could be due either to differences in the type of allergens encountered or to actual differences in susceptibility to sensitization to any particular antigen.OBJECTIVE:To examine the relationship of skin test positivity to inhaled aeroallergens and socioeconomic status (SES).METHODS:A total of 989 Montreal elementary school children were studied. A short questionnaire was completed by parents, and the children performed spirometry before and after a free-running exercise challenge. A subsample of 309 children underwent allergy skin prick tests to common inhaled aeroallergens. SES was established using parental occupation.RESULTS:Higher social class was associated with an increased likelihood of having positive skin tests to cat and trees, while there was a trend towards an inverse relationship between SES and skin test sensitivity to cockroach and moulds. Reported history of asthma, hay fever or eczema were unrelated to SES.CONCLUSIONS:The results of this study suggest differences in levels of exposure to different allergens by social class. From the public health point of view, community-based allergen avoidance measures need to be adapted to social class.


2021 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 205873842110150
Author(s):  
Rakesh D Bansie ◽  
A Faiz Karim ◽  
Maurits S van Maaren ◽  
Maud AW Hermans ◽  
Paul LA van Daele ◽  
...  

Introduction: Allergic and nonallergic hypersensitivity reactions to iodinated contrast media (ICM) and gadolinium-based contrast media are classified as immediate or non-immediate hypersensitivity reactions (IHR and NIHR), respectively. Skin tests and provocation tests are recommended for the evaluation of hypersensitivity reactions to contrast agents; however provocations are not common in clinical practice. Methods: A MEDLINE search was conducted to investigate studies comprising both skin tests and provocation tests that evaluated hypersensitivity reactions to ICM. Results: Nineteen studies were identified that reported on skin tests, followed by provocations. In the case of IHR to ICM, 65/69 (94%) patients with a positive skin test for the culprit media tolerated a challenge with a skin-test-negative alternative ICM. In IHR to ICM with a negative skin test for the culprit media, provocations were positive in 3.2%–9.1% patients. In the case of a NIHR to ICM with a positive skin test, provocation with a skin-test-negative agent was tolerated in 75/105 (71%) of cases. In NIHR with a negative skin test for the culprit agent, re-exposure to the culprit or an alternative was positive in 0%–34.6% patients. Provocations with the same ICM in skin test positive patients with IHR or NIHR were positive for a majority of the patients, although such provocation tests were rarely performed. Data on hypersensitivity reactions, skin tests and provocations with gadolinium-based contrast media were limited; however, they exhibited a pattern similar to that observed in ICM. Conclusion: In both ICM and gadolinium-based contrast media, the risk of an immediate repeat reaction is low when skin tests are negative. In contrast, a provocation with a skin-test-positive contrast medium showed a high risk of an immediate repeat hypersensitivity reaction. Therefore, a thorough medical history is necessary, followed by skin tests. A provocation is recommended, for diagnostic work-up, when the diagnosis is uncertain.


2003 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-162
Author(s):  
Jason S. Krahnke ◽  
Deborah A. Gentile ◽  
Kelly M. Cordoro ◽  
Betty L. Angelini ◽  
Sheldon A. Cohen ◽  
...  

Background Few studies have examined the relationship between subject-reported allergy and results of allergy skin testing in large unselected or unbiased cohorts. The objective of this study was to compare the results of self-reported allergy via verbal questioning with the results of allergy skin testing by the puncture method in 237 healthy adult subjects enrolled in a common cold study. Methods On enrollment, all subjects were verbally asked if they had a history of allergy and then underwent puncture skin testing to 19 relevant aeroallergens, as well as appropriate positive and negative controls. A skin test was considered positive if its wheal diameter was at least 3 mm larger than that obtained with the negative control. Results Forty-eight (20%) subjects reported a history of allergy and 124 (52%) subjects had at least one positive skin test response. A history of allergy was reported in 40 (32%) of the skin test-positive subjects and 8 (7%) of the skin test-negative subjects. At least one positive skin test response was found in 40 (83%) of those subjects reporting a history of allergy and 84 (44%) of those subjects denying a history of allergy. Conclusion These data indicate that there is a relatively poor correlation between self-reported history of allergy and skin test results in subjects enrolled in a common cold study. These results have implications in both clinical practice and research settings.


2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 675-688
Author(s):  
W. Al Kubaisy ◽  
A. Al Dulayme ◽  
H. D. Selman

In a prospective cohort study in Iraq, schoolchildren with a positive tuberculin skin test during the nationwide survey in 2000 were followed up in 2002 to determine prevalence of latent tuberculosis [TB] infection and risk factors among household contacts. Of 205 children, 191 remained skin-test positive in 2002. Based on X-ray and clinical examination, 9 children [4.4%] were active TB cases. Among 834 household contacts, there were 144 new TB cases, giving a cumulative incidence of 17.3%. Risk factors for TB among household contacts were: age > / = 15 years; technical/professional job; smoking; low body mass index; diabetes mellitus; steroid therapy; and closeness of contact with the index cases. Based on past history of TB in index children and their contacts, 77.2% of new TB cases were attributable to household contacts


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