Cephalosporin Allergy

Abstract

Cephalosporin antibiotics are widely prescribed for common infections such as bronchitis, otitis media, pneumonia, and cellulitis. They are also administered as first-line prophylaxis for many types of surgical procedures. A relative contraindication to these agents is a history of allergy to penicillin. In this situation, many clinicians select a different class of antibiotic, such as vancomycin. However, the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant organisms demands that the selection of antibiotics be made only after careful evaluation. In this article, we review allergy to cephalosporins, with special attention to the risks of administering them to patients with a history of penicillin allergy.Reactions . . .