[Penicillin allergy in children].

Penicillin allergy in children is overdiagnosed and paediatricians, fearing the possibility of fatal anaphylaxis, seldom question a report that a child is allergic to penicillin. Laboratory tests to predict whether a patient will react to penicillin are unhelpful in routine clinical practice and skin tests themselves carry a significant risk of anaphylaxis and even death. A few simple inquiries can often exclude the diagnosis. However, a history of penicillin therapy associated with an immediate reaction suggests penicillin allergy.