Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 62%
Simulated
A nurse is preparing to administer erythromycin PO to a client who has an infection. The nurse checks the client's medical record and notes that the client has a severe allergy to penicillin. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
Correct answer
B
Rationale
The correct answer is B: Administer the medication to the client. Erythromycin is not a penicillin-based antibiotic, so having a severe allergy to penicillin does not contraindicate the use of erythromycin. Therefore, it is safe to administer erythromycin to the client. Requesting a different medication (Choice A) is unnecessary as erythromycin is a suitable choice. Premedicating with diphenhydramine (Choice C) is not indicated unless the client has a known allergy to erythromycin. Requesting a different route of administration (Choice D) is unnecessary if the oral route is appropriate.