Odznačenje alergije za penicilin - priložnosti in ovire
Penicilin allergy delabeling - opportunities and barriers

slovenian

2025

volume 76, issue 4

allergy   delabeling

Slovensko farmacevtsko društvo
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

Drug hypersensitivity represents a significant challenge for both physicians and patients and is becoming an increasingly common iatrogenic condition, with penicillin being the most frequently mentioned culprit. Although up to 10 % of people carry a label of penicillin allergy, more than 90 % of these labels are incorrect. They often arise from misinterpretation of adverse effects, such as gastrointestinal symptoms, or from the cooccurrence of viral rash during antibiotic treatment. Incorrect labelling can have serious consequences: patients receive less effective and more expensive secondline antibiotics, leading to poorer treatment outcomes, longer hospital stays, increased risk of infections with resistant bacteria, and higher healthcare costs. On a society level, this contributes to the spread of antibiotic resistance, which poses a global public health threat. The solution lies in systematic delabelling. Using tools such as the PEN-FAST questionnaire, even non-allergists can assess risk and safely exclude suspected allergy in low-risk patients – often without the need for testing from specialist. A multidisciplinary approach is crucial, including education of healthcare providers and patients, as this is the only way to reduce the burden of incorrect labels, improve treatment, and limit the spread of bacterial resistance.

20.05.2026