|Serving patients in Hampton Roads.|


FDA approves PRE-PEN® penicillin skin test

By Allergy & Asthma Specialists, December 2010

The allergists at Allergy & Asthma Specialists are delighted to inform you that the FDA has approved the PRE-PEN® penicillin skin test and, once again, we can accurately determine if you are or are not penicillin allergic.

Allergy to penicillin and related antibiotics, such as Augmentin, is the most commonly reported drug allergy in the United States. However, more than 85% of people who believe they are penicillin allergic are found to be skin test negative, when tested with the PRE-PEN® skin test.  97% of patients who are skin test negative can tolerate penicillin and Augmentin without developing a serious allergic reaction.

The procedure for skin testing with PRE-PEN is easy, safe and takes approximately one hour to complete. If the skin test is negative, you may be administered a dose of oral penicillin or amoxicillin in our office and observed for one hour to confirm the ability to tolerate the drug.

Why are so many people incorrectly labeled as penicillin allergic?
Many patients were never allergic in the first place—for example, the rash at six years of age may have been due to a viral illness rather than to penicillin administered at that time. Also, many patients with true penicillin allergy lose their allergy over time.

Why do I want to know if I am not penicillin allergic?
Penicillin antibiotics including Augmentin are often less expensive, more effective and less toxic than other antibiotics. Penicillin alternatives may increase risk of developing resistant bacteria, making antibiotics less effective in the future.

Who can be tested?
Children and adults with a history of suspected penicillin allergy.

If you or your child would like to be skin tested for penicillin allergy or discuss your penicillin allergy in more detail, please call us at any of our 4 locations listed below. Our allergists are here to help you.

About Allergy & Asthma Specialists
For more than five decades the allergists at Allergy & Asthma Specialists have been successfully treating adults and children in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and throughout Hampton Roads, where the climate is conducive to allergies and asthma problems. Our allergists are specifically trained to treat penicillin allergic, PRE-PEN penicillin skin test, drug allergy, and more.