Getting Tested for a Penicillin Allergy
Recent studies have shown that it is safe to re-expose children to amoxicillin (a common penicillin) and that 95% of children who were thought to be allergic will not have a reaction when tested. The Penicillin Allergy Testing Services (PATS) at Cincinnati Children’s is available for patients admitted to the hospital or seen in outpatient clinic appointments.
For more information, call 513-517-7287 (PATS) or send an email to PATS@cchmc.org.
What is the testing like?
According to Kimberly A. Risma, MD, PhD, who leads the Drug Allergy Program, the testing is simple and safe and should be offered to all children who are labeled as having a penicillin allergy. Children may be seen when sick with an illness for which amoxicillin is the preferred antibiotic, receiving their first dose of amoxicillin in our office, or at a scheduled time when they are healthy. We test for an allergy to penicillin by giving a dose of amoxicillin by mouth and watching for a reaction. If there is not reaction, your child is not allergic.