The Safety and Efficacy of an Oral Penicillin Challenge Program in Cancer Patients: A Multicenter Pilot Study

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2018 Nov 17;5(12):ofy306. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofy306. eCollection 2018 Dec.

Abstract

Antibiotic allergies are reported by up to 1 in 4 cancer patients, almost 50% of which are considered low risk and precede the cancer diagnosis. We demonstrate the successful and safe implementation of a pilot oral penicillin challenge program for cancer patients with low-risk penicillin allergies, increasing the use of penicillin and narrow-spectrum beta-lactams post-testing.

Keywords: beta-lactam allergy; immunocompromised host; oral challenge; oral provocation; penicillin allergy.