The patient hiking up the mountain on the left is labeled as penicillin-allergic, carrying the heavy burden of real or perceived increased risk for urticaria, mast cell-mediated angioedema, or anaphylaxis. He (and society, represented in the third peak) encounters multiple tough challenges and medical complications ahead as a result of this label. As research advances and our understanding of these disorders deepens, patients (depicted as hiker on the right) should find that their descent follows smoother paths and offers better patient care.
Abbreviations: EHR: electronic health record; LOS: length of stay; ML: machine learning; MRSA: methicillin resistant Staphylococcal aureus; PCN: penicillin