A severe laryngeal angioedema reaction from cefadroxil in a patient with no known allergies to penicillins.

We report a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction to cefadroxil in a 60-year old female with no previous history of allergies to penicillins. Cefadroxil is a first-generation cephalosporin and anaphylactic reactions to it in patients with no previous history of penicillin allergy are very rare. Since cefadroxil is a commonly prescribed antibiotic for both adults and children in the Caribbean, an appropriate level of caution should be exercised in its use even with no reported history of previous allergies to the penicillin class of medications.