Tag Archives: Betalactam
Allergy to penicillin: what are the actual ongoing risks?
Guest posting: Professor Jason Trubiano Penicillin allergies are not always lifelong. Approximately 50% are lost over five years and 80% at 10 years. A reaction to penicillin, typically a benign rash during a childhood, is unlikely to be a true allergy, with more than 97% negative on allergy testing. Only 1–2% of patients with a […]
Q2 Understanding antibiotic resistance and Staphylococcus aureus
Q2 in our JMO pre-test asked: “What is the main mechanism by which the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus becomes resistant to penicillin?” We gave alternatives enumerating basic mechanisms that micro-organisms use (often in combination) to become resistant to an antimicrobial agent (graphic below). Production of penicillinase (i.e. inactivation by a type of beta-lactamase) was the correct answer– more […]
Penicillin ‘allergy’ and safety of third generation cephalosporins (ceftriaxone)
A frequent issue is deciding whether a patient with a “penicillin allergy” can safely be given a cephalosporin antibiotic – what is the real risk of cross reaction and is it much less for third generation agents such as ceftriaxone? A recent publication in Prescriber Update from Medsafe New Zealand succinctly analyses cross-reactivity amongst beta-lactam antibiotics in the light […]
AIMED - Let's talk about antibiotics 