Congratulations to Dr. Stephanie Erdle, Pediatric Allergist and members of the BC Women’s Hospital Allergy Team!
Their team is the recipient of the 2025 Optimizing the Early Years Award. These awards are presented annually by Health Quality BC to celebrate the people and projects that are improving the quality of care in our province.
Did you know that Penicillin allergies can present a significant concern, in particular for those who are pregnant? About half of all pregnant people will require an antibiotic during pregnancy and 10% of those will report an allergy to penicillin. The presence of a penicillin allergy label leads to the use of second-line agents, which in turn can increase the risk of postpartum infections, complications in postoperative caesarean wounds, and prolonged hospital stays. Additionally, newborns of mothers with penicillin allergies may undergo increased medical interventions, such as blood draws and extended hospitalizations.
Recognizing the critical need for a solution, the BC Women’s Penicillin Allergy Delabelling Clinic was established as the first dedicated Canadian centre to offer penicillin allergy testing specifically tailored to pregnant individuals.
MORE:
https://healthqualitybc.ca/quality-awards/winners/bc-womens-hospital-allergy-clinic-team/