Houston Methodist improves antibiotic use with bedside screening tool

Nurses at Houston Methodist are using a new tool to check if patients really have allergies to penicillin. This screening helps doctors give the right antibiotics faster. The goal is to improve patient care and reduce hospital stays. The initiative, led by Dr. M. Yasser Alsafadi, focuses on re-evaluating patients' penicillin allergies. It aims to clear up any mistaken allergy labels so doctors can prescribe more effective antibiotics. This is important because many patients are wrongly labeled as allergic when they can tolerate penicillin safely. Usually, about 10% of people in the U.S. say they are allergic to penicillin. However, only 1% are truly allergic, according to the CDC. When doctors avoid using penicillin-based antibiotics, they often prescribe alternatives that are less effective and can lead to more side effects. Before surgeries, doctors prefer to use cefazolin, an antibiotic related to penicillin, to prevent infections. But if a patient is labeled allergic to penicillin, doctors may avoid cefazolin, which can lead to worse surgical outcomes. The program involves a variety of teams at Houston Methodist, including nursing, pharmacy, and IT. They are working together to gather real-time data and improve the process of managing penicillin allergies, ensuring better care for patients.