We all know that dogs’ amazing sense of smell can help detect everything from drugs to low blood sugar. Recently at a Dallas hospital, dogs were used to identify and warn of another danger: corn.
Corn allergy – an allergy that can be triggered by allergens in products you would never suspect – can be so severe that even exposure to the air can cause it. allergy. anaphylactic reactiona severe, life-threatening allergic reaction that makes it difficult or impossible to breathe—or even requires routine surgery.
This is Wendi Porter’s concern. The North Texas resident needed knee replacement surgery but had a severe corn allergy.
sniffing corn
“I felt like no one understood how serious my reaction to corn was until I connected with the care team at Texas Health Flower Mound,” said Wendi Porter, 49. “They listened and addressed all of my concerns prior to the procedure.”
Porter’s two service dogs helped. The pharmacy set up a controlled trial with the dog sniffing a regular swab product that was confirmed to be corn-free.
The hospital then began minimizing Porter’s exposure to corn allergens.
Deana Carter, BSN, RN, chiropractic program coordinator at Texas Health Flower Mound has hosted multiple departments. Staff members from the Faculty of OR, Supply Chain, Hygiene Services, Nutrition, Anesthesiology, Nursing, and Faculty of Pharmacy were involved in the three-week planning process.
“We found that a lot of drugs and other products like hand sanitizers and detergents contain corn products,” says Carter. “We also looked for the safest isolated room to keep Porter away from the rest rooms.”
The Pharmacy team researched each drug Porter’s doctors were expected to take, reviewing the literature and detailed product information.
“The hospital has implemented a rigorous process to test common drugs in the hospital for corn products before any treatment,” said Gurbinder Jassar, PharmD, chief pharmaceutical officer at Texas Health Flower Mound. what happens.
Porter’s service dog then inspected the product; Porter received both knee replacements without complications in September and December 2022.
“It’s hard for people to admit the severity of this allergy but the care team really went out of their way and went even further than I expected,” Porter said.
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Image source: Texas Health Resources
