Pregnant and allergic to penicillin?

Medical experts say an estimated 10 percent of Americans are allergic to penicillin, but less than 1 percent are actually allergic to the common antibiotic

While some may consider this statistic an interesting trivia, there is one group, in particular, who would benefit from knowing if they are actually allergic to penicillin: pregnant women

Pregnant women often need to take antibiotics before, during, or after delivery

On an individual level, patients flagged in electronic medical records as penicillin-allergic — and therefore given a wider range of antibiotics — may have higher rates of C-sections and longer hospital stays

So it's important to know if you're actually allergic to antibiotics

To address this, a husband-and-wife team of physicians at Yale School of Medicine, Jason Kwah and Moeun Son, started a penicillin allergy testing program for pregnant women who reported a penicillin allergy

"Our study shows that 80% of people have had a reaction at one time, indicating a true allergy, but 10 years Then it disappeared

"Given our expertise, I never thought we would work together, but pregnant women often need antibiotics during labor or other stages of pregnancy -- or postpartum," Dr.

Bacteria may not be a problem for most people, but there are different risks for pregnant women

But if the woman -- or the information in her electronic medical record shows she's allergic, that won't be possible

When she talked to Dr.

In September 2020, they established the Pregnant Women Allergy, Asthma and Immunity Care Program, in which pregnant women whose health records show a penicillin allergy have the opportunity to be tested at the Yale School of Medicine Allergy and Immunology

So far, the results are promising

"From September 2020 to February 2022, 954 pregnant patients at Yale had penicillin allergy records in their electronic medical records," Dr.

Why do people think they are allergic to penicillin?

Many people who think they are allergic to penicillin have been avoiding drug classes since childhood

For kids who had a red rash from a drug reaction, it was a one-time problem that never happened again
.

"Our study shows that 80 percent of those who have ever had an allergic reaction go away after 10 years," Dr.
Kwah said
.
"We don't know if that means someone is allergic to it and then grows up and doesn't have it, or if the immune system just changes over time
.
"

How the penicillin allergy test works

Penicillin allergy testing is usually done in the third trimester
.
The procedure involves a small needle poke, which allows the penicillin extract to be placed under the skin
.

"If the rash doesn't appear within 15 to 20 minutes, we'll do another, deeper poke
.
If there's no rash within those additional 15 to 20 minutes, we know there's more than a 95 percent chance of not having a penicillin allergy," Dr.
Kwah said.
say
.
"The last step is to give the patient oral amoxicillin (a type of penicillin) in the office to make sure there is no reaction
.
"

Dr.
Kwah said penicillin allergy testing has been performed safely on pregnant women for many years
.
"As allergists, we are very protective of pregnant women; this test has been well studied and we are very confident about it,
" he said
.

At the same time, national organizations are paying attention
.
For example, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently updated its guidelines to recommend penicillin allergy testing for all pregnant women reporting allergies
.

Dr.
Sun said the Yale program has received many referrals since its inception
.
"Our OBs are excited about this
.
An allergist can do a thorough evaluation and testing to better understand if there is a real problem," she said
.

The benefits of penicillin allergy testing are extensive

In addition to eliminating personal anxiety, eliminating penicillin allergies in women also helps on a broader level, Dr.
Kwah added
.

"Using a very broad antibiotic means you're more likely to get a bacterium that is resistant to many different drugs," he said
.
"You could be creating a situation where a bad bacteria can escape antibiotics, spread, and become more prevalent in the community
.
"

Ultimately, being able to remove the term "penicillin allergy" from the medical history was a relief for the patient, he added
.
You don't even have to talk about it -- or worry about it
.
We like to see this impact happen in real time," he said
.