Stupid Allergies Part 2

I wrote a while ago about stupid allergies that we come across in hospital.

I gave as an example the patient who says she is allergic to penicillin because of a yeast infection. I do remember that example from when I was in general practice but after bringing it up it only took a few weeks to see that allergy rear its stupid head again.

A patient comes down to the OR the other afternoon with two ampules of clindamycin taped to her chart. Using my best Sherlock Holmes without even reading the chart I knew she was allergic to Penicillin.

So of course I read the nursing notes (this being an ortho patient and the history therefore totally useless) and under allergies, it goes Penicillin----Yeast infections. Now this was copied out by a nurse after talking to the patient. You would think that the nurse as an educated professional would say, " No deary, you aren't allergic to penicillin and the yeast infection you might get after Ancef is nothing compared to the C. Diff infection you might get after the Clindamycin".