Risk Stratification as a Predictive Factor for Cephalosporin Allergy: A Case-Controlled Study

Abstract

Background: Compared to penicillin, cephalosporin allergies are less common in children, and their diagnostic approach is less standardized. A recent European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology position paper provided a risk stratification system for patients with suspected beta-lactam hypersensitivity reactions. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate risk stratification and predicting factors for confirmed cephalosporin hypersensitivity. Methods: The case-controlled study included patients with confirmed cephalosporin hypersensitivity (skin tests, n = 53; drug provocation, n = 19). For each patient, 2 age- and gender-matched control subjects were included in the study. Data were retrieved from patients' records and analyzed retrospectively. Risk stratification was performed according to the severity of index reactions, which was initially divided as high and low risk and then further divided as immediate and nonimmediate. Results: According to risk stratification, the patient and control groups were divided as follows: high-risk immediate (66.7% vs. 13%, respectively), high-risk delayed (1.4% vs. 8.3%, respectively), low-risk immediate (16.7% vs. 16%, respectively), and low-risk delayed (15.3% vs. 62.9%, respectively). Immediate reactions (odds ratio [OR]: 12.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 9-24.8, p