By Donavyn Coffey
Approximately 10% of all U.S. patients carry a penicillin allergy label. The majority pick up the label in childhood after an adverse reaction or because a family member is labeled allergic. But the reality is that fewer than 1% of these patients have true IgE-mediated sensitivity to the antibiotic, according to data cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And even the true penicillin allergies are often outgrown (JAMA 2017; 318[1]:82–83).