Skip Navigation



JAC Advance Access published online on October 14, 2004
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, doi:10.1093/jac/dkh454
© 2004 by The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
54/6/1155    most recent
dkh454v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Sodhi, M.
Right arrow Articles by Shekar, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Sodhi, M.
Right arrow Articles by Shekar, R.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Received June 21, 2004
Revised August 30, 2004
Accepted September 11, 2004

Brief Report

Is it safe to use carbapenems in patients with a history of allergy to penicillin?

Manica Sodhi 1, Sandra S. Axtell 2*, Joyce Callahan 1, and Raja Shekar 1

1 Infectious Diseases, Huron Hospital -- Cleveland Clinic Health System, East Cleveland, OH, USA
2 Pharmacy, Hillcrest Hospital -- Cleveland Clinic Health System, Mayfield Heights, OH, USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: saxtell{at}cchseast.org.


  Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this retrospective study was to ascertain the clinical safety of administering carbapenems, namely imipenem/cilastatin and meropenem, in patients with a history of penicillin allergy compared with administering carbapenems in patients with no reported penicillin allergy. Carbapenems are similar in chemical structure to the penicillins and therefore are associated with a risk for allergic cross-hypersensitivity. Carbapenems are commonly avoided in patients with a reported penicillin allergy on the basis of a potential cross-hypersensitivity with penicillin, however, very few studies have been conducted describing the incidence of cross-hypersensitivity between penicillin and carbapenems.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted in a total of 266 patients who were administered either imipenem/cilastatin or meropenem. The patients were admitted to the Cleveland Clinic Health System--Eastern Region Hospitals during the years 2001 and 2002.

Results: Fifteen of the 163 patients (9.2%) with reported penicillin allergy developed a hypersensitivity reaction to meropenem or imipenem/cilastatin whereas 3.9% of the 103 patients without penicillin allergy developed a hypersensitivity reaction to meropenem or imipenem/cilastatin. These results are not statistically significant.

Conclusions: Based on this study and other similar studies, the true incidence of cross-hypersensitivity reactions between penicillin and carbapenems may be lower than previously reported. Carbapenem use may be reasonable for penicillin allergic patients if caution is exercised.

Keywords: imipenem/cilastatin; meropenem; hypersensitivity.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J Intensive Care MedHome page
R. P. Baughman
The Use of Carbapenems in the Treatment of Serious Infections
J Intensive Care Med, July 1, 2009; 24(4): 230 - 241.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 The Annals of PharmacotherapyHome page
J. Frumin and J. C Gallagher
Allergic Cross-Sensitivity Between Penicillin, Carbapenem, and Monobactam Antibiotics: What Are the Chances?
Ann. Pharmacother., February 1, 2009; 43(2): 304 - 315.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ANN INTERN MEDHome page
A. Romano, M. Viola, R.-M. Gueant-Rodriguez, F. Gaeta, R. Valluzzi, and J.-L. Gueant
Brief Communication: Tolerability of Meropenem in Patients with IgE-Mediated Hypersensitivity to Penicillins
Ann Intern Med, February 20, 2007; 146(4): 266 - 269.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 NEJMHome page
G. A. Eschenauer, R. E. Regal, D. D. DePestel, R. S. Gruchalla, and M. Pirmohamed
Antibiotic allergy.
N. Engl. J. Med., May 25, 2006; 354(21): 2293 - 2294.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.