Penicillin allergy increases risk for use of less-effective antibiotics

 People allergic to penicillin are nearly twice as likely to receive a less effective antibiotic during hospitalization, with more side effects, those who are not allergic to the drug, an analysis published Monday by JAMA Internal Medicine found.

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In all, 16% of hospitalized patients have a penicillin allergy, with 45 percent of allergic reactions to the drug involving hives or rash, the researchers said.
Most of those allergic to the antibiotic, 64 percent, received a "broad-spectrum" beta-lactam -- a class of drugs that acts on a wide range of disease-causing bacteria, they found.

Use of broad-spectrum antibiotics has been linked with development of resistant bacteria, or those that don't respond to drug treatment.

Read more on Upi.com

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