Giving medications when there’s a mild allergic reaction

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I have been instructed to give medications, in several situations, that a patient was having a mild reaction to. Every time the doctor will order Benadryl to be given with the Med (mostly antibiotics) and there is only itching and/or a mild rash. Is this common? Some doctors will immediately discontinue a med and then others will knowingly order a med that someone’s allergic to and just give Benadryl. It makes me pretty uncomfortable and seems like it shouldn’t be allowed

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Allergy to PCN is the most bogus element of any medical history...the 10% cross sensitivity to 3rd gen cephalosporins is as credible as big foot sightings during elk season....what you are describing is on the order of superstition...Unless the patient describes a life threatening event for which they were admitted to the hospital for at least a day....it's bogus and the physician is just being a witch doctor with his benadryl.....but take heart...the benadryl won't hurt the patient and the antibiotic certainly won't....

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Well, the patient I most recently had did have a slight pink discoloration to chest and neck and itching there. This was with Zosyn. He also had that reaction to vanc when given earlier.

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Specializes in school nurse.
6 hours ago, offlabel said:

Allergy to PCN is the most bogus element of any medical history...the 10% cross sensitivity to 3rd gen cephalosporins is as credible as big foot sightings during elk season....what you are describing is on the order of superstition...Unless the patient describes a life threatening event for which they were admitted to the hospital for at least a day....it's bogus and the physician is just being a witch doctor with his benadryl.....but take heart...the benadryl won't hurt the patient and the antibiotic certainly won't....

Severity of allergic reactions can worsen with subsequent exposures. I'm not sure I'd take the "antibiotic certainly won't" as gospel truth...

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, School Nursing, OB.
7 hours ago, Jedrnurse said:

Severity of allergic reactions can worsen with subsequent exposures. I'm not sure I'd take the "antibiotic certainly won't" as gospel truth...

Agree! When the rash from the antibiotic starts causing lips and face to swell then yes the antibiotic can hurt the patient. I've seen it happen.

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