Question

1.You are asked to cover for a colleague who has stepped off the unit. The patient has intravenous (IV) ampicillin infusing. You check the patient’s chart and see that the record reflects that this patient is allergic to penicillin. You go into the patient’s room, and the patient is having difficulty breathing. How do you handle this situation?

2. Your patient states that he or she has nausea and vomiting when he or she takes penicillin. How would you proceed with caring for this patient?

Answer 1

1. Firstly we can stop the infusion as soon possible and provide psychological support to the position. If the patient is having severe breathing difficulty administer oxygen supply. And inform to the physician immediately.

Immediately stop the infusion.

Administer antihistamines eg.Benadryl

Corticosteroids

Treatment of anaphylaxis eg.epinephrine injection

2. Most of the antibiotics is having side effects like nausea and vomiting. If the patient is not allergic to this drug we can continue the drug after some times.If the nausea and vomiting is stopped then we can start the infusion. If the vomiting is severe we can administer antiemetic agents. Priorly we can do the allergic test for the patient for any allergic reaction related to drug. If there is no allergic reaction we can start the infusion , if there is allergy never start the infusion and inform to the physician.