Can patients with a penicillin allergy take cephalosporins or other beta-lactam antibiotics?

December 2005

Can patients with a penicillin allergy take cephalosporins or other beta-lactam antibiotics?

That depends on the type of reaction.

About 10% of people say they are allergic to penicillin...but only 10% to 20% of these have a life-threatening allergy.

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