Antibiotic challenges
An antibiotic challenge is a medically supervised procedure used to determine whether or not an antibiotic allergy exists, or whether the medication can be tolerated safely. This is very common with medications like penicillin or other beta-lactams.
What are antibiotic allergy challenges and how do they work?
Many children are labelled as allergic based on previous mild reactions or other symptoms after taken certain antibiotics. Studies show that some children outgrow these sensitivities or were never truly allergic in the first place, so an antibiotic challenge helps to clarify the diagnosis and avoid unnecessary avoidance of important medications.
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The challenge involves our team of paediatric allergy specialists giving your child a small dose of the antibiotic in a controlled medical setting. If there is no reaction after the first dose, further doses may be given to reach a full treatment amount. Throughout the process, your child is closely monitored for signs of an allergic reaction, such as rashes, swelling, or breathing changes. Emergency medications and trained staff are always on hand to ensure safety if an allergic reaction does occur.
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If your child completes the challenge without any reaction, the antibiotic is deemed safe for future use, and the allergy label can usually be removed from their medical record. This paves the way to more effective and targeted medical treatment options in the future. If a reaction does occur, the allergy is confirmed, and our allergy care team will provide clear guidance on alternatives and emergency management, giving you peace of mind and clarity on your child's health.
Who is this treatment suitable for?
An antibiotic challenge is suitable for children with a suspected or past antibiotic allergy, especially when the reaction was mild or occurred a long time ago.
What results to expect
By the end of this treatment, you'll have a clear answer on whether your child is allergic or not, to a specific antibiotic. A confirmed allergy means that this antibiotic will need to be clearly avoided in future, and other precautions taken depending on the severity of the allergic reaction.
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If your child shows no allergic symptoms, this means that the antibiotic can be safely used by your child in the future.