Anonymous Doctor

Quiz: Allergies

Please choose the best response to the following question, given the choices presented.

***It says on your chart that you're allergic to penicillin. Can you tell me what happens when you take it?***

A. "Oh, I'm not really allergic. I just don't like it."

B. "I think I broke out in hives once, right where I got an injection. Though I'm not sure if that was penicillin or heroin."

C. "I don't know that I'm allergic. I wrote it down because my sister's allergic, so she says I'm probably allergic too. She's actually my half-sister. My adopted half-sister."

D. "What happens when I take it? I've never taken it! I'm allergic! Duh."

E. "When I took it, I didn't get better. That means I'm allergic, right?"

F. "When I take it, my entire body breaks out in hives. But I sort of like that feeling, so I don't mind if you give it to me anyway."

G. "Did I write penicillin? I meant to write peanuts. I'm allergic to peanuts."

H. "It depends. I'm only allergic to penicillin if it's made in the same factory where they make tomato products."

I. "I'm not really allergic. It's more like I'm penicillin-intolerant. It gives me gas."

J. "Why do you care if I'm allergic to penicillin? I'm here for an infection, not because I need medication."

K. "I just wrote down I'm allergic to it so you wouldn't prescribe it. You don't need to. I have six bottles of it in my medicine cabinet at home."

L. "Oh, I was copying off the person next to me in the waiting room."

M. "Penicillin's the one that's blue and rectangular, right?"

N. "I didn't write that. No, that's not my handwriting, sorry."

O. "I say I'm allergic because I used to be addicted to it and I don't want to start up again, so I figure it's best not to even get tempted."

P. "Oh, that was the allergy section of the form? I thought that was where I was supposed to write down my best guess about the medication I think I need."

Q. "I have trouble breathing. Three times a day, every time I take it, every day for the past sixteen years, I have trouble breathing. So I guess I'm allergic to it."

R. "When I take it, I die. So don't give it to me."