Identification of drug and food allergy in surgery clinic: Automation system and red wristband combination

Correct identification of drug and food allergies in hospitalized patients is important to prevent unwanted allergic reactions or unnecessary treatment changes. This study aimed to explain the working principle of digital patient identification systems used for drug and food allergy recording and to evaluate the results by analyzing the allergy recording system data of the general surgery clinic in our center. In our single-center, retrospective study, all patients admitted to general surgery services between January 01, 2023 and December 31, 2023 were included. Patients who were given an identifying red wristband and had allergy information on their digital patient card panel were included in the study. Patients with repeated hospitalizations within the total number of patients were included in the study as 1 patient. Data from 5810 patients hospitalized in the general surgery department for 1-year were analyzed. In total, 759 patients with allergy labels were included in this study. Of these, 241 (31.8%) were male and 518 (68.2%) were female, and the mean age was 58.81 ± 15.77 (18-96). The drug allergy, antibiotic allergy, and penicillin allergy rates were 7.2%, 3.8%, and 2.1%, respectively. Food allergy was detected in 1.5% of the total patient group. The most frequently reported allergenic foods were tomatoes, mushrooms, spices, eggs, milk and dairy products, respectively. We recommend the use of identifying wristbands, such as red wristbands, to ensure that the allergy history of hospitalized patients is correctly questioned and that patients with allergies are labeled. We also believe that protocols for allergy labels should be developed in health centers.