Benefits of negative penicillin skin test results persist during subsequent hospital admissions

For an initial series of 38 patients with negative skin test results, we re viewed retrospectively all subsequent admissions over a 2-year period. For 38 patients with negative initial skin test results, there were 48 subseque nt readmissions to our institution, of which 35 required antibiotics. beta -lactams were prescribed for 86% of admissions; a penicillin for 37%, and a cephalosporin for 51%. All infections were cured, and there were no allerg ic drug reactions during any of the admissions that were reviewed.