A patient with a known hypersensitivity to milk experienced an anaphylactic reaction after receiving an intravenous dose of methylprednisolone drawn from
40 mg vials.
Following the event, the facility reviewed the drug package insert, which included a contraindication and warning for patients with known or suspected hypersensitivity to
cow’s milk or its components.
Solutions
- Check your formulation(s) of methylprednisolone for the presence of lactose monohydrate. Different vial sizes may contain different components.
- Verify that clinical data support systems alert when methylprednisolone containing lactose monohydrate is ordered for a patient with a documented milk allergy.
- Review your internal process for identifying and cross-referencing food-drug interactions.
- Review and update patients’ allergies, including food allergies, at every encounter and document the date and type of manifestation as appropriate.
