Silvadene-HELP

[rn/writer, RN]

As far as possible - always try and look up unfamiliar drugs!

This is important, to be sure, but sometimes it's thinking you know all about the familiar meds that can get you in trouble. Might not be a bad idea, every once in awhile, to look up some of the more common meds we dispense, just to be sure we haven't forgotten something important or that new information hasn't come out in the umpteen years since we started giving a particular med.

[GingerSue]

Noooo, people who puke after taking codeine or morphine and such honestly think they're allergic to it.

but nausea, vomiting (and diarrhea, cramping, and abdominal pain)

ARE GI clinical manifestations of a systemic anaphylactic reaction.

[TazziRN, RN]

But you will also see other symptoms of anaphylaxis.

[debblynn13]

One little old lady we admitted to hospice stated she was allergic to codiene. Then she stated she really wasn't. She always told people she was because her mom had it once and had hallucenations and she didn't want that to happen to her.

[Irishgirl]

my dad temporarily took himself off one of his medication so he could eat grapefruit! i asked, "does your doctor know?" he said, "no." i just shook my head and walked away. he said, "i just love grapefruit." i felt bad b/c he couldn't have it, but he should never have discontinued a med abruptly just to eat it. sometimes parents make you want to scream!

[TazziRN, RN]

sometimes parents make you want to scream!

you mean it's not just mine???

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

mom carries list of 15 meds she's allergic to--ie had some side effects.

ds lists nuts as allergy--- 1/2 cashew nut eaten at age 8 sent him into full blown anaphylaxis. epipen and benedryl in tackle box he carries at culinary college. camper one summer showed me her "white hands" after evening sickcall, other rn commented she was stung by bee earlier in day and had wheezing mid afternoon & neb treatment then---never put picture together of anaphylaxis. stat call to camp doc, loading dose of prednisone and epipen prevented her from crumping in front of me.

i treat these all patients "allergies" as real thing and attempt to elicit reactions meds to be on look out for similar reactions other categories.

kudos to you for recognizing a problem, reading up on med and educating others with this tale. any med requiring a prescription needs to be looked up prior to first time administration to protect patient and your license.

remember too that silvadene cream has silver as part of compound; if using on large areas can develop silver poisoning definition - medical dictionary definitions of ....

[Irishgirl]

Any med requiring a PRESCRIPTION needs to be looked up prior to first time administration to protect patient and your license.

That's a good pearl of advice;)