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Why can people who are hypersensitive to penicillin also react to cephalosporins?
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antimicrobial agent
Iodine, as in the form of Dobell's iodine solution, is an effective antimicrobial agent.
Patients who are hypersensitive to penicillin may experience allergic reactions to cephalosporins because the two classes of antibiotics share a similar chemical structure. Both groups are classified as β-lactam antibiotics, and this structural similarity can lead to cross-reactivity in individuals who have been previously sensitized to penicillin.12
While cephalosporins are often considered as an alternative treatment for patients with penicillin allergies, the potential for a hypersensitivity reaction remains due to these shared structural characteristics.12