The NHS states that around one in 15 people suffer allergic reactions to certain antibiotics, with Penicillin being a major culprit. However, a recent study may indicate something very different.
New research has shown that many children who are diagnosed with a penicillin allergy aren’t allergic to the drug at all. As a result of being misdiagnosed, children are prescribed more expensive alternatives that can cause them to contract infections that have a higher resistance to antibiotics.
Dr. DavidVyles, the study author and attending pediatric emergency medical physician at the Medical College of Wisconsin, carried out the study. “During my pediatric residency and fellowship, we constantly saw families reporting a penicillin allergy and were questioning the validity” he said in a conversation with WebMD, before revealing that three of his own children were also misdiagnosed and deemed allergic to the antibiotic.
Out of 300 children with a history of low-risk symptoms for a penicillin allergy, 100 were tested. Out of all participating children, none were found to be allergic to the antibiotic.
Tags: #WhiteLab #SensioAIR#medical #medicine #health #antibiotic #penicillin #allergy #allergies#paediatric #children #medicalstudy #research
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20170703/is-your-childs-penicillin-allergy-real#1
[Image courtesy of Marjorie Bertrand/ Unsplash]
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