Abbreviations: BLA: Beta-lactam allergy; CBH: Christiaan Barnard
Memorial Hospital; GSH: Groote Schuur Hospital; IQR: Interquartile
range; MPDH: Mitchell’s Plain District Hospital; NSH: New Somerset
Hospital; UCTPAH: University of Cape Town Academic Hospital; VWH:
Victoria Wynberg Hospital
Of the 48 self-reported BLA patients, 60.4% were female, and the median
age was 59 years (IQR 37;68). There were no reported BLA under the age
of 18 years (Table 3 , Supplement Table 2 ). There were
12 patients (0.8%) that reported non-BL antibiotic allergies. The
majority (n=35 [71%]) of participants reported that the allergic
event had taken place more than ten years previously. Most (64.6%
[n=31]) could recall the details of the allergic event, but 12.5%
(n=6) of patients reported a BLA based on family history alone. In total
64.6% (n=31) patients were classified as low risk, 22.9% (n=11) as
moderate risk, while only 10.4% (n=5) patients were classified as high
risk for positive penicillin testing. Eight patients reported
anaphylaxis and ten reported angioedema (six of whom had laryngeal
angioedema). The most common reported symptoms were a mild/self-limiting
skin rash in 25% (n=12) of patients. In total, 30 patients (62.5%)
required treatment for the BLA but only 10 (20.8%) required adrenaline.