Documented penicillin allergy and beta-lactam antibiotic use in Massachusetts long-term care facilities: opportunities for penicillin allergy delabeling

Kap Sum Foong; Shira Doron; Leslie Fowle; Melissa Cumming; Jessica Leaf; Barbara Bolstorff; Christina Brandeburg; Ye Chen; Alysse Wurcel

doi:10.1017/ash.2024.434

Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology (Jan 2024)

Documented penicillin allergy and beta-lactam antibiotic use in Massachusetts long-term care facilities: opportunities for penicillin allergy delabeling

Kap Sum Foong,
Shira Doron,
Leslie Fowle,
Melissa Cumming,
Jessica Leaf,
Barbara Bolstorff,
Christina Brandeburg,
Ye Chen,
Alysse Wurcel

Affiliations

Kap Sum Foong: ORCiD; Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
Shira Doron: Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
Leslie Fowle: Division of Epidemiology, Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Melissa Cumming: Division of Epidemiology, Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Jessica Leaf: Division of Epidemiology, Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Barbara Bolstorff: Division of Epidemiology, Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Christina Brandeburg: Division of Epidemiology, Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Ye Chen: ORCiD; Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Tufts School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Boston, MA, USA
Alysse Wurcel: ORCiD; Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2024.434
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 4

Abstract

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In a cross-sectional study of 20 Massachusetts long-term care (LTC) facilities, 19% (n = 449) of residents received antibiotics, with approximately one-third having a documented penicillin allergy. This documented allergy decreased the likelihood of prescribing beta-lactam antibiotics for infections. Improved penicillin allergy assessments and delabeling could optimize antibiotic prescribing in LTC settings.

Published in Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology

ISSN: 2732-494X (Online)
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Infectious and parasitic diseases; Medicine: Public aspects of medicine
Website: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antimicrobial-stewardship-and-healthcare-epidemiology

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