Long lists of “allergies” can sometimes interfere with treatment:
The problem with “allergies that aren’t allergies” is that sometimes the “allergies” can prevent you from giving a medication that the patient really needs. What do you do with a patient who has allergies to multiple antibiotics and who comes in with septic shock? If you give the patient something they are “allergic to” and there is a bad outcome, you get sued. If you don’t give them an indicated antibiotic for the type of infection because of an “allergy” and there is a bad outcome, you can get sued, also.
Related posts:
- Allergies?
- Patients with numerous allergies
- A patient dies after doctors fail to communicate in the operating room
- Can primary care doctors actually increase health care costs?
- C Diff without antibiotic exposure
- Her hands and feet amputated, a Brazilian model dies from Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis. What happened?
- Defensive medicine in the US? Shocking!
KevinMD.com on Facebook
{ 3 comments }
I agree. Trying to decipher all the allergies can almost be impossible. Even when you do find that it is not a true allergy (motrin makes me reflux) you cant start them on the medication for fear of litigation.
I still hate the “I cant take any NSAIS or toradol, or Ultram or Darvocet” as Im allergic. “Oh, there is something that I can take, lets see its something spelled like “D-I-L-A-U-D-I-D. Oh, by the way, can you sign this that says I’m Disabled.”
Whenever we have a new person come to the pharmacy, we ask what the allergies are. Unfortunately, I’m the only one who asks what happens when you take X med. Most often it’s “I get an upset stomach.”
Ugh.
RJS:
does the “reaction” still find its way in your store’s documentation???
Comments on this entry are closed.