Problem
Case Study
RSW is a 44-year-old female who needs to go on antibiotic therapy. She reports no problem with allergies to any medicine in the past.
The doctor on duty prescribes an oral course of penicillin, with the initial dose intravenously administered by you in the office. RSW begins showing alarming symptoms within 5 minutes after the penicillin injection and you summon the doctor. Upon seeing the client, the doctor responds "RSW is experiencing a true allergic reaction involving IgE" and she immediately commences treatment.
Task
The treatment of a true allergy to penicillin will depend on the severity of the reaction. Briefly discuss the treatments for penicillin allergy including the rationale for the treatment. Make sure you discuss the treatment the doctor is likely to administer if the reaction is the most extreme.
Is this the same process and type of hypersensitivity reaction that is experienced when the client has received a transfusion of the wrong type of blood? Justify your answer, explaining if there are any notable differences in the two reactions and the treatment.
References
Bullock, S 2017, Fundamentals of Pharmacology, 8th edn, Pearson Australia. ISBN: 9781442563100.