Question

A 40-year-old woman presents with widespread hives that she noticed about 45 minutes after taking penicillin. She is conscious and alert and denies difficulty breathing. Her breath sounds are clear to auscultation bilaterally, her vital signs are stable, and her oxygen saturation is 94%. She tells you she is allergic to wasps and has an epinephrine auto-injector. You should:

Answer 1

The options in this question are missing; here are the options:

You should:

A. Give supplemental oxygen and transport her to the hospital.

B. Give high-flow oxygen and administer 100 mg of Benadryl.

C. Assist her in administering epinephrine via her auto-injector.

D. Advise her that she can probably drive herself to the hospital.

The answer to this question is A. Give supplemental oxygen and transport her to the hospital

Step-by-step explanation:

The symptoms of the patient shows she is experiencing an allergic reaction to penicillin, which is mainly manifested through Urticaria or hives. However, the symptoms show this is not a severe reaction or anaphylaxis because she is alert, stable and she has no difficulties breathing. Due to this, it is not necessary to use the epinephrine.

Instead of this, it is recommended she goes to the hospital; however, as she is still at risk of a severe allergic reaction she should not drive, thus, one key recommendation is to transport the patient to the hospital. Besides this, the ideal oxygen saturation is between 95% and 100%, this means the patient oxygen saturation (94%) is a bit low. Due to this, it is a good idea to give supplemental oxygen, while she is taken to the hospital. Thus, the correct option is A.