A woman being treated for wasp stings says she screamed in pain at the intravenous infusion into her left hand of a medicine which a review suggests was not needed.
The woman had disturbed a wasp nest and been stung up to 15 times on her face, neck and right arm in March last year, according to a report by Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Theo Baker, which conceals the names of the parties.
The woman went to a pharmacy and was given Telfast, an antihistamine tablet. She proceeded to an accident and medical clinic, where a doctor noted she did not have low blood pressure, asthma or throat swelling and prescribed intravenous (IV) promethazine and hydrocortisone.
He chose promethazine, an antihistamine, to prevent potentially-fatal anaphylaxis, because she had a history of "severe and prolonged swelling after a single previous sting".
Promethazine is highly caustic and is meant to be diluted ten-fold with water before intravenous use because of the risk of vein inflammation.