Abstract

AbbreviationsAMXamoxicillinAMX/CLamoxicillin–clavulanic acidDPTdrug provocation testIDTsintradermal testsLTTlymphocyte transformation testsNIRnon‐immediate reactionsPTpatch testβLsbeta‐lactamsKey MessagesIn mild, non‐immediate reactions (NIR) to beta‐lactams in children, a direct drug provocation test (DPT) has been demonstrated to be safe, but there are controversies about the protocol that should be used (administration of incremental doses and length). This article reports the results of DPT performed with incremental doses and then a prolonged 5‐day DPT, showing that all the patients but one reacted after some hours from the last dose administered. Most of the reactions occurred in children who reported a time latency within 6 h from the last drug intake. So, because clinical history alone is not a reliable tool for establishing a diagnosis, it should be taken into account for risk stratification to choose the investigation strategy best tailored to the individual patient ensuring a safe and more effective approach. This paper indirectly suggests the possibility that a single therapeutic dose, fully administered on the first day of DPT could be safe in the diagnostic workup of mild NIR, being also more realistic and less time‐consuming than starting with fractionated incremental doses.INTRODUCTIONBeta‐lactams (βLs) are the main elicitors of hypersensitivity drug reactions in children. Most of the reactions are non‐immediate