Penicillin allergy

Penicillin allergy is one of the most commonly reported drug allergies worldwide and represents a significant public health concern. In the United States and other regions, prevalence rates in the general population have been reported to range from 9% to 12%, with figures reaching up to 15% among hospitalized patients (Steenvoorden et al., 2021; Sacco et al., 2017). It is important to note that these prevalence numbers can vary slightly across studies due to differences in study populations, diagnostic criteria, and methodologies. The table provided summarizes key clinical messages about penicillin allergy management; however, readers should be aware that specific prevalence figures might differ somewhat depending on the literature referenced.

Despite its high reported prevalence, a substantial majority of individuals labeled as penicillin allergic do not have a true allergy. Current evidence suggests that over 90% of patients with a documented penicillin allergy are actually tolerant when evaluated using appropriate testing methods (Snider et al., 2022; Baghdady & Alothmany, 2023). This mislabeling can lead to the unnecessary avoidance of penicillin and other beta-lactam antibiotics—agents that are often the most effective treatment options for a variety of bacterial infections (Penicillin allergy—getting the label right, 2017; Pongdee & Li, 2018).

The clinical...