Other
Jacob C. Dachman, DMD
Pediatric Dental Resident (PGY-2)
Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center Hospital, Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati Children's Hosptial Medical Center
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Jennifer Cully, DMD, MEd
Cincinnati Children's
Kimberly Risma, MD, PhD
Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center Hospital, Cincinnati, OH
Sarat Thikkurissy, DDS, DDS,MS
Division Director/Research Mentor
Cincinnati Childrens Burnet Campus
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Patrick T. Ruck, DDS
Assistant Professor Dentistry
Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Patrick T. Ruck, DDS
Assistant Professor Dentistry
Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Scott Schwartz, DDS, MPH
Assistant Professor
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Purpose: Collaborative quality improvement (QI) study evaluating the role of a pediatric dental service in de-labeling patients with a self-reported penicillin allergy.
Methods: Patients ages 0-18 years with a self-reported penicillin allergy seen by a dental provider were recruited for the study. Patients who met eligibility criteria, including self-reported allergy to penicillin or penicillin-derivatives, were referred to the Penicillin Allergy Testing Services (PATs) team in the Division of Allergy and Immunology. Referred patients underwent allergy testing per PATs protocol.
Results: One hundred six pediatric dental patients were referred for PATs over an eight month study period. Twenty patients (18.8%, 20/106) were scheduled for an oral amoxicillin challenge. Of those who underwent challenge, 17 (94%, 17/20) were de-labeled and found to be non-allergic, one was indeterminate, one challenge was deferred due to having tolerated a subsequent amoxicillin course and was de-labeled, and 1 challenge was declined by provider due to the patient medical history. Referrals from the division of pediatric dentistry accounted for 35.8% (N=106/296) of the top 10 referrers for PATs and 11.6% (N=106/911) of all PATs referrals hospital wide.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that dentists can be first line point-of-care referral providers for penicillin allergy de-labeling. Pediatric dentists are uniquely positioned to develop protocols and work in collaboration with allergists to identify and refer patients with self-reported penicillin allergies.