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Journals / Çocuk Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 25 Sayı: 3

Use of Meropenem in Children Labeled with Penicillin and Cephalosporin Allergy: A Retrospective Study Based on Reallife Data

Merve Karaca Şahin(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, İSTANBUL OKMEYDANI HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF CHILD HEALTH AND DISEASES, PEDIATRIC IMMUNOLOGY AND ALLERGIC DISEASES)0000-0001-8783-0514
Güler Yıldırım(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, İSTANBUL OKMEYDANI HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF CHILD HEALTH AND DISEASES, PEDIATRIC IMMUNOLOGY AND ALLERGIC DISEASES)0000-0001-7852-9252
Nilay Çalışkan(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, İSTANBUL OKMEYDANI HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF CHILD HEALTH AND DISEASES, PEDIATRIC IMMUNOLOGY AND ALLERGIC DISEASES)0000-0002-5546-0034
Hamit Boloğur(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, İSTANBUL OKMEYDANI HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF CHILD HEALTH AND DISEASES, PEDIATRIC IMMUNOLOGY AND ALLERGIC DISEASES)0000-0003-1092-8833
Muhammed Fatih Erbay(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, İSTANBUL OKMEYDANI HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF CHILD HEALTH AND DISEASES, PEDIATRIC IMMUNOLOGY AND ALLERGIC DISEASES)0000-0002-4128-3081
Aslı Berivan Topçak(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, İSTANBUL OKMEYDANI HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF CHILD HEALTH AND DISEASES, PEDIATRIC IMMUNOLOGY AND ALLERGIC DISEASES)0009-0007-8300-6430
Hasan Tunç Şarman(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, İSTANBUL OKMEYDANI HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF CHILD HEALTH AND DISEASES, PEDIATRIC IMMUNOLOGY AND ALLERGIC DISEASES)0009-0000-7234-5516
Hilal Güngör(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, İSTANBUL OKMEYDANI HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF CHILD HEALTH AND DISEASES, PEDIATRIC IMMUNOLOGY AND ALLERGIC DISEASES)0000-0002-8923-1897
Çağla Öztürk(BEZMI ALEM FOUNDATION UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF CHILD HEALTH AND DISEASES, PEDIATRIC IMMUNOLOGY AND ALLERGIC DISEASES)0000-0002-8645-0373
Şefika İlknur Kökçü Karadağ(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, İSTANBUL OKMEYDANI HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF CHILD HEALTH AND DISEASES, PEDIATRIC IMMUNOLOGY AND ALLERGIC DISEASES)0000-0001-9234-633X
Deniz Özçeker(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, İSTANBUL OKMEYDANI HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, DEPARTMENT OF CHILD HEALTH AND DISEASES, PEDIATRIC IMMUNOLOGY AND ALLERGIC DISEASES)0000-0002-0032-6727
Pages
136–143
Publication Date
2025-10-31
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Conclusion: Meropenem appears to be a safe and effective alternative treatment option for patients labeled with beta-lactam allergy until a comprehensive beta-lactam allergy workup can be conducted.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Objective: Beta-lactam antibiotics are among the most commonly used and frequently reported drug allergies.
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Key Findings & Data:However, recent publications demonstrate that side chains, rather than the beta-lactam ring, are primarily responsible for cross-reactivity and that meropenem can be safely used in patients with beta-lactam allergies.
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Conclusion & Impact:Conclusion: Meropenem appears to be a safe and effective alternative treatment option for patients labeled with beta-lactam allergy until a comprehensive beta-lactam allergy workup can be conducted.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2017 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Beta-lactam · Drug hypersensitivity · Meropenem

Abstract

Objective: Beta-lactam antibiotics are among the most commonly used and frequently reported drug allergies. The beta-lactam ring has traditionally been considered to be responsible for cross-reactivity across all betalactam antibiotics. However, recent publications demonstrate that side chains, rather than the beta-lactam ring, are primarily responsible for cross-reactivity and that meropenem can be safely used in patients with beta-lactam allergies. The aim of our study was to evaluate the safety of meropenem in patients labeled with penicillin and cephalosporin allergies based on real-life data. Materials and Methods: Children under the age of 18 years who were referred to the Pediatric Immunology and Allergy with a beta-lactam allergy label between January 1, 2017, and September 1, 2024, were retrospectively evaluated. Results: A total of 95 children labeled with a beta-lactam allergy were referred to our Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Clinic for appropriate antibiotic selection. Among them, 64% were female and 36% were male. Fiftyeight patients were labeled as allergic to penicillins only, 31 to cephalosporins only, and 6 to both drug classes. Meropenem was administered to 23 patients. Of these, only three developed a rash following meropenem treatment and were re-referred for further evaluation. A total of 15 patients presented to our outpatient clinic for the diagnostic assessment of beta-lactam allergy. None of them had an allergy to meropenem. However, beta-lactam allergy was confirmed in three patients. Conclusion: Meropenem appears to be a safe and effective alternative treatment option for patients labeled with beta-lactam allergy until a comprehensive beta-lactam allergy workup can be conducted.

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Cite This Article

Şahin, M. K., Yıldırım, G., Çalışkan, N., Boloğur, H., Erbay, M. F., Topçak, A. B., Şarman, H. T., Güngör, H., Öztürk, Ç., Karadağ, Ş. İ. K., Özçeker, D. (2025). Use of Meropenem in Children Labeled with Penicillin and Cephalosporin Allergy: A Retrospective Study Based on Reallife Data. Çocuk Dergisi, Cilt: 25 Sayı: 3, 136–143. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2025.1725683

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