Allergies

[MrSpykes]

If a patient has allergies to Sulfa then what drugs in the "paramedic arsenal" would we want to avoid giving if any? I looked it up on-line but it didn't seem clear cut. Would I want to avoid Morphine Sulfate, Atropine Sulfate, and Albuterol Sulfate. Or are those okay. The search i did said something about antimicrobials. I am just a little confused and we are on a break from class right now and I don't want to forget to ask. Thanks everyone.

[chbare]

MrSpykes, Ahhh, the old sulfa and sulfate question. We are talking about two different things. When a patient tells you they are allergic to sulfa, this generally means that they are allergic to sulfa based medications such as the antibiotic Bactrim. Sulfate is a different structure than a sulfonamide. The person is not actually allergic to Sulfur, but rather they are allergic the sulfonamide. I hope this helps.

Take care,

chbare.

[Ridryder 911]

Ditto... I always ask them to be more specific and as well most might even be on Lasix etc which is a sulpha derivative, however; so many are synthetic anymore. The other suggestion is to ask what occurs during the allergy. So many claim to be allergic to codeine.. " It make me nauseous" ... which is not an allergy. but a common side effect.

R/r 911

[AZCEP]

Sulfa powder was a commonly used topical antibiotic that has been phased out of most places.

There are plenty of other issues that are more concerning, but the question will remain until the "Sulfate" is removed from the packaging. As Rid said, the sulfite and sulfonamide structures are different enough that one causes a reaction, and the other doesn't. People that tell you they are allergic to "sulfa" need close monitoring if you use Lasix, and you might even want to consult with medical direction beforehand. The risk is slight, but very real. It is not a common problem, but you don't want it to happen either.

[MrSpykes]

Thanks guys this cleared a lot up for me.