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Published on: May 28, 2013
Penicillin Allergy Testing: An Outpatient Nurse-Driven Program for Patients With Cancer
Sejal Morjaria1, Faye Inumerables1, Dhruvkumar Patel
1Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Background:
Penicillin allergy testing (PAT) can decrease the use of unnecessary antibiotics by clarifying who is truly allergic.
Objectives:
This article describes the development and implementation of an oncology outpatient nurse-driven PAT program.
Methods:
A nurse-driven program, initiated with allergy screening at the first encounter, was designed to identify patients with oncologic diagnoses eligible for PAT. Once verified eligible, patients undergo a three-step testing process (scratch test, intradermal injection, and IV challenge dose) administered by the infusion nurse.
Findings:
From November 2018 to December 2019, 82 outpatients with reported penicillin allergies were screened; 90% were eligible for PAT, and 97% of patients tested were negative for penicillin allergy. A significant reduction in aztreonam use among patients admitted for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was also noted as compared to before PAT was offered.
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