Knee surgery patients with ‘penicillin allergy’ face higher infection risk: study

Patients labelled as allergic to penicillin – usually incorrectly – are three times more likely to develop a serious joint infection after knee surgery as they receive weaker antibiotics, a Hong Kong study has found, with researchers urging them to seek an evaluation especially before their operation.
A team from the University of Hong Kong, which released the findings of the study on Wednesday, said that about 90 per cent of patients recorded as being allergic to the commonly used antibiotic…