Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 22, 2026

The Use of a β-lactamase-based Conductimetric Biosensor Assay to Detect Biomolecular Interactions
Published on: February 1, 2018
Penicillin and Beta-Lactam Hypersensitivity
1Division of Allergy and Immunology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
Abstract:
Ten percent of patients report penicillin allergy, but more than 90% of these individuals can tolerate penicillins. Skin testing remains the optimal method for evaluation of possible IgE-mediated penicillin allergy and is recommended by professional societies, as the harms for alternative antibiotics include antimicrobial resistance, prolonged hospitalizations, readmissions, and increased costs. Removal of penicillin allergy leads to decreased utilization of broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as fluoroquinolones and vancomycin. There is minimal allergic cross-reactivity between penicillins and cephalosporins. IgE-mediated allergy to cephalosporins is usually side-chain specific and may warrant graded challenge with cephalosporins containing dissimilar R1 or R2 group side chains.
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