A Study on the Intradermal Skin Test of Antibiotics

Yoo, Jae Hee; Shon, Youn Hee; Kim, Won Ock

Abstract

This study was done to identify the reality in doing the intradermal skin test of injectional antibiotics and to serve a basis to the clinical and educational situations. For the study, the survey was done to the staff nurses who are working at one of the selected 39 hospitals in the capital area, from January 6 to Feburary 8 in 1997. The data analysis was done by mean, standard deviation, Fisher's exact test, t-test, ANOVA through running SAS computer program. The results of the study were as follows : 1.The dilution ratio of the antibiotics was mostly 1 : 10 regardless of what kind of antibitics. Making the contrast was done only for the suspended to the antibiotics. Mostly the reaction was detected after 15 to 20 minutes from its diameter of redness and wheals. Most of the respondents answered they do the intradermal skin test only once for the same antibiotics. 2. In the education on the skin test the 66.7% from the respondents had exposed to the education mostly through the new nurses orientation. The 85.4% from them answered the need of the continuous education which had a significant difference in the number of beds(p=.046). The had experiences of detecting positive reactions(98.3%), and of anaphyaxis(49.5%) which had a significant difference in experience(p=.002) and in their age groups(p=.000). 3. The average score of the confidence on the intradermal skin test was 3.32 form 4-point scale. Also it had a significant difference from the number of beds(p=.010), the year of experiences(p=.016), and their age groups(p=.046). 4. From the general characteristics of respondents, the infection methods had a significant difference in the amounts of injection, whether adopting the contrast pairing, and the repeatable skin tests for the same antibiotics. 5. Only 15 from 39 hospitals had their protocol about the intradermal skin test provided by nursing department which differs in its contents from that provided by the medical information center. From the results of the study, it is suggested that the continuous education on the intradermal skin test and its unified protocol should be provided. Also it is recommended that the drug manufacturer should notice about its anaphylactic cautions and pack its extra skin test use.