Drug Allergy Program - Drug Allergy Diagnosis and Treatment
The Drug Allergy Program at Cincinnati Children’s diagnoses and treats drug allergies in children in the Greater Cincinnati area and in patients referred nationally. The program’s core clinical members are from the Division of Allergy and Immunology and led by Professor Kimberly A. Risma, MD, PhD.
Any time a person takes a medicine, they can have a reaction. This can happen when taking a medicine by mouth or when getting a medicine through a shot or an IV. Sometimes the reaction is a side effect of the illness or medicine, and sometimes it can be an allergic reaction.
For example, amoxicillin is a common antibiotic (a type of penicillin) that is used to treat respiratory infections and strep throat. Many people may have had a rash when taking amoxicillin but are not allergic when tested (learn more about our Pediatric Antibiotic Allergy Testing Services).
Recent studies have shown that 98% of children who have been labeled as having an “allergy” to antibiotics do not have a clinical reaction when re-exposed to it through testing.