People are more likely to report they have a penicillin allergy if they have chronic urticaria (hives) and vice versa, according to a study published online ahead of print January 9 in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
Senior author Andrea J. Apter, MD, MSc, and fellow investigators examined the medical records of 11,143 patients, 220 of which had both self-reported penicillin allergy and chronic hives. The prevalence of self-reported penicillin allergy in patients with chronic urticaria was found to be approximately 3 times greater than in the general population. The researcher’s analysis found that the prevalence of chronic urticaria in patients with self-reported penicillin allergy was also approximately 3 times higher than in the general population.
“This link between chronic urticaria and self-reported penicillin allergy highlights the need for clinicians to inquire about self-reported penicillin allergy in patients with chronic urticaria and to consider penicillin skin testing,” Dr. Apter said.
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“Furthermore,” he continued, “patients who report penicillin allergy might actually have chronic urticaria, indicating the importance of inquiring about chronic urticaria symptoms in patients with self-reported penicillin allergy.”
