Allergies

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine, Women's Health,School Nursing.

Just a vent...maybe you can relate?

Tis the time of year to receive all the updated emergency contact forms. HOW many parents do I have to unnecessarily call because little Johnny developed a bee sting allergy over the summer or they are suddenly lactose intolerant (written on the contact form BUT no other notification from parents). Call them up to get the details and: 'oh the bee sting allergy is swelling and redness where they are stung' AHHH that is NOT an allergy--of course you are going to get red and swollen when you get stung

"oh no their doctor did not diagnose them with lactose intolerance but they got a tummy ache and didn't poop for 5 days once after they ate 3 cheese sticks, a pint of ice cream, and washed it down with a gallon of milk' (okay I'm exaggerating a bit but you all get it right?!)

?

Sometimes I feel like these parents WANT their kids to have some sort of allergy just to write it on the form.

someone wrote their kid is allergic to Tylenol because her dad took it once and projectile vomited so she will not risk giving it to her child ?

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Then they get upset senior year and want us to remove these self reported issues because Little Johnny wants to join the marines.

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I have two kids not related with an allergy to Advil!?!?!

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My favorite is when they somehow get a doctor to sign off on the allergy paperwork "allergic to grass, mildew, pineapple, coconut, milk, broccoli, walnuts, cats, chipmunks, peaches, small fowl" and then on the allergy assessment sheet symptoms are "upset stomach, gas." No histamine reaction, not even a rash. Ok so your kid farts when they eat broccoli? Let me make sure all of the staff knows!

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My brother convinced the school that he was allergic to lettuce. He had recently been hospitalized d/t asthma issues which gave his "lettuce made me so sick that I was in the hospital" ploy. He just didn't want lettuce on his tacos. He was 8, we still regularly tease him about this.

I have a student with a PCN allergy...because grandpa had a reaction when he was an infant, so the entire family lists a PCN allergy?‍♀️

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
1 hour ago, BiscuitRN said:

My favorite is when they somehow get a doctor to sign off on the allergy paperwork "allergic to grass, mildew, pineapple, coconut, milk, broccoli, walnuts, cats, chipmunks, peaches, small fowl" and then on the allergy assessment sheet symptoms are "upset stomach, gas." No histamine reaction, not even a rash. Ok so your kid farts when they eat broccoli? Let me make sure all of the staff knows!

YES. Or pork. And when I ask.... the family is Muslim and they don't eat pork. And when I say that we don't have any pork-containing products in the line....they still say student allergic to pork.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Allergies get noticed. Dislike or fears DO NOT.

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Specializes in kids.
On 9/3/2019 at 10:15 AM, cid1 said:

I have two kids not related with an allergy to Advil!?!?!

But wait, next year it will be Tylenol, mark my words!!

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Specializes in 12 years as a school nurse.

I'm having the opposite issue- A student's physical lists no allergies, but the asthma form has a place for allergies/triggers to be listed by parents. I think the student filled out the form because of a language barrier for the parents. Student listed peanuts, cashews, tree nuts, and seeds as an allergy. When I asked student about what symptoms occur when nuts are ingested, she replied, "Oh, my throat gets itchy, I cough, and I get these weird red blotches all over my face and neck." Me, shocked: "That sounds pretty serious, do you have an epi-pen?" Student: "No, I just don't eat nuts anymore." (shrugs)

I don't even know what to do with that. Send a release form to the parents so I can talk to the provider??

Student has been at this school for more than 2 years. This is the first I've heard of it.

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Specializes in School nursing.
8 minutes ago, nursekoll said:

I'm having the opposite issue- A student's physical lists no allergies, but the asthma form has a place for allergies/triggers to be listed by parents. I think the student filled out the form because of a language barrier for the parents. Student listed peanuts, cashews, tree nuts, and seeds as an allergy. When I asked student about what symptoms occur when nuts are ingested, she replied, "Oh, my throat gets itchy, I cough, and I get these weird red blotches all over my face and neck." Me, shocked: "That sounds pretty serious, do you have an epi-pen?" Student: "No, I just don't eat nuts anymore." (shrugs)

I don't even know what to do with that. Send a release form to the parents so I can talk to the provider??

Student has been at this school for more than 2 years. This is the first I've heard of it.

Any chance you can send home the health form and a release form to talk to child's health care provider in the family's preferred language? I send all my forms home in English and Spanish, but do have it also translated into Haitian Creole and Chinese for a few select families.

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