Background: Avoidance of suspect drugs based solely on a history of drug allergy is detrimental to disease outcomes. Many antimicrobial allergy labels are not usually true allergy. Some studies have demonstrated that antimicrobial allergy assessments can be safely performed on pregnant women. The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of antibiotic allergy assessment during pregnancy in Japan.
Methods: We reviewed pregnant women who reported antimicrobial allergies and were referred to the allergy center. Allergists conducted an interview and skin test and selected antibiotics that could be used at delivery.
Results: Twenty-four pregnant women were referred to as having antimicrobial allergies. Most of the suspected antimicrobials were cephalosporin (13 cases, 52%) and penicillin (9 cases, 36%). Five women were ruled out only by our interviews. Of the remaining 20 cases, 10 were immediate type, 6 were non-immediate type, and 4 were unknown. All 21 pregnant women who needed antimicrobials were able to use the first-line drugs (β-lactam antimicrobials) at the time of delivery. No surgical site infections or allergic reactions were observed.
Conclusion: Pregnant women with antimicrobial allergy labels could be evaluated by antimicrobial allergy assessment during pregnancy, and first-line antimicrobials were safely and properly used at delivery.
Keywords: antimicrobial allergy; de-labelling; drug hypersensitivity; infection; pregnant women.