logo
episode-header-image
Jul 23
26m 30s

Do you really have a penicillin allergy?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Penicillin is the go-to antibiotic for many common infections - but in the UK more than 1-in-15 adults have a penicillin allergy label on their medical record. New research suggests that many with these labels are not actually allergic. Professor Sue Pavitt explains how more accurate allergy labelling might help fight the rise of antimicrobial resistance.

Both Burundi and Senegal announced last week that they had eliminated trachoma. Dr Graham Easton walks us through the long road to this milestone.

A passionate debate has caused division in Maharashtra, India, over the possibility of homeopaths being allowed to practice and prescribe conventional medicine. Reporter Chhavi Sachdev explains why doctors on both sides are striking.

In the UK, eight babies made with the combined genetic material of three people have been born without the hereditary mitochondrial disease. We explore the implications of this breakthrough.

Sex at birth might not be as random as we once thought; a new study found that families with three children of the same sex are more likely to have another child of the same sex.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Hannah Robins Assistant Producer: Alice McKee Studio Managers: Dyfan Rose and Andrew Garrett

Up next
Aug 20
Using AI to discover new antibiotics
AI models have helped to discover new potential antibiotics to treat drug resistant infections of gonorrhoea and MRSA. We speak to Professor Jim Collins from MIT to understand what’s next for his machine-generated medicines and the role AI could play in the future of drug discove ... Show More
26m 28s
Aug 13
How plastic harms health
As negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty are due to conclude at the United Nations, we check in on whether health is on the agenda with Dr Cressida Bowyer, Associate Professor in Arts and Sustainability from the University of Portsmouth in the UK who is at the conference. We ... Show More
26m 29s
Aug 6
Malnutrition in Gaza
UN-backed experts – the IPC - say the "worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out" in Gaza and that there is mounting evidence that widespread malnutrition is driving a rapid rise in hunger-related deaths among the 2.1 million Palestinians there. Aid worker Olga Chere ... Show More
26m 30s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
617. Are You Really Allergic to Penicillin?
Like tens of millions of people, Stephen Dubner thought he had a penicillin allergy. Like the vast majority, he didn’t. This misdiagnosis costs billions of dollars and causes serious health problems, so why hasn’t it been fixed? And how about all the other things we think we’re a ... Show More
1h 3m
May 26
The Shocking Truth About Allergies & What You Should NEVER Do in Your Bedroom | Dr. Tania Elliott
There’s been a lot of talk about allergy symptoms becoming more severe over the last few years. What is contributing to this change? And more importantly, what can we do to control our environments and help support our bodies’ immune systems? Our guest today is double-board certi ... Show More
57m 10s
Nov 2021
Allergy mythbusting
There are many urban myths which circulate in the world of allergy. In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell and Professor Adam Fox attempt to put the record straight regarding some of them. We will cover vaccination and egg allergy, progression of allergic reactions, the use of adrenalin ... Show More
19m 41s
Feb 2025
The Microbe That Changes EVERYTHING
The most important microbe can amplify the immune system, increase your muscle mass, and even help you live longer, but most people are missing it! Listen to this fascinating interview with Dr. William Davis as we discuss this missing microbe. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Will ... Show More
31m 53s
Sep 2024
PEDS: Cystic Fibrosis
Today's EpisodeCharlee reviews chapter 17 from the Pediatric Morning Report book. A 3-year-old white female presents to the emergency department with 1 week of cough, purulent sputum production, dyspnea, fever, and failure to thrive. Her symptoms have been steadily wors- ening du ... Show More
20m 3s
May 2022
A Pill Made from Poop, Universal Organs, Soothing Baby Pain
Today, you’ll learn about an interesting way pills made from poop could help millions of people with allergies, how researchers edited the contents of a pair of donor lungs to better match the recipient, and how pain can affect a baby’s development and what parents can do about i ... Show More
15m 30s
Sep 2021
The Elephant in the Room: What About HIV?
For more than a year now, COVID has been society’s focus—and rightly so. But today we turn our attention to another virus—HIV. After 40 years, there is still no cure or a vaccine for the disease. In this episode, we hear from Dr. Anthony Fauci and CEO of innovative company Americ ... Show More
29m 48s
Sep 2021
#069 COVID Vaccine Myths, Questions, and Rumors with Rhonda Patrick and Roger Seheult
In this nearly 2.5-hour episode, Dr. Rhonda Patrick and Dr. Roger Seheult and Kyle Allred of MedCram make a thoughtful, merit-based, and truly comprehensive discussion of COVID-19 vaccination. In addition to being a co-founder of MedCram Medical Lectures, Dr. Roger Seheult is, as ... Show More
2h 30m
Sep 2024
Superbugs Could Kill Millions. Here’s How We Stop Them.
Antibiotics have been hailed as a "miracle drug" since the discovery of penicillin in 1928. But now, more bacteria are developing resistance to antibiotics, making them difficult or nearly impossible to treat. One recent study estimated that these so-called “superbugs” could caus ... Show More
30m 6s