Dr. Jacqueline Wong is a staff physician and Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases. Approximately 10% of the population report a beta-lactam allergy (BLA), even though up to 90% of these patients can safely receive these medications after formal allergy evaluation. Having a
reported allergy may lead to the use of less effective, more toxic, and more expensive alternative antibiotics. Many antibiotic allergy labels are acquired in childhood, and de-labeling interventions designed to evaluate and remove inappropriate labels in this population could have a significant future impact.