Ok, so I am relatively new to being an emt and I had this call:
Arrive on scene... pt is on the floor, wheezing heavily... bystander says pt is having asthma attack... i give O2 with NRB, sit her up to help airway, and do a quick assesment... pulse in 90s, SpO2 94, RR upper 20s... no cardiac problems, and it is definetely an asthma attack according to pt...
I ask if she is prescribed an inhaler: she shakes her head no, bystander (older sibling) says she was sensitive to the med
I ask if she knows whether it was a steroid or albuterol inhaler that caused sensitivity: no
I decided to give albuterol anyways... her airway opened up and her O2 stats went back up... Later she was able to tell me she was allergic to steroids, but she still didnt know what gave her problems with the inhaler...
but i am worried, what if she was allergic to albuterol? i know hypersensitivity is a contraindication. Should i have given her the med knowing that she had a problem with previous inhalers, but not knowing if it was a steroid or albuterol inhaler she had a problem with? what would you have done?
Arrive on scene... pt is on the floor, wheezing heavily... bystander says pt is having asthma attack... i give O2 with NRB, sit her up to help airway, and do a quick assesment... pulse in 90s, SpO2 94, RR upper 20s... no cardiac problems, and it is definetely an asthma attack according to pt...
I ask if she is prescribed an inhaler: she shakes her head no, bystander (older sibling) says she was sensitive to the med
I ask if she knows whether it was a steroid or albuterol inhaler that caused sensitivity: no
I decided to give albuterol anyways... her airway opened up and her O2 stats went back up... Later she was able to tell me she was allergic to steroids, but she still didnt know what gave her problems with the inhaler...
but i am worried, what if she was allergic to albuterol? i know hypersensitivity is a contraindication. Should i have given her the med knowing that she had a problem with previous inhalers, but not knowing if it was a steroid or albuterol inhaler she had a problem with? what would you have done?
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