Overdiagnosis of Penicillin Allergy Leads to Costly, Inappropriate Treatment

“Delabeling people mistakenly thought to be allergic to penicillin is safe and cost-saving, according to a recent study by Vyles and coauthors involving 100 children who had come into the emergency department and whose parents said they had a penicillin allergy. Their allergy had been diagnosed on the basis of symptoms the researchers considered unlikely to be the result of an allergic reaction, mainly rash and itching.”