Lawmaker introduces bill requiring EpiPens in all school systems

Sen. Christopher B. Shank wants policies in place for treating students with life-threatening allergies.  A bill is being introduced requiring EpiPens in all school systems.  Read the full article here.

5th Grader Saved by an Epi-Pen

A fifth grader experienced a severe allergic reaction while eating candy containing peanuts at school.  Luckily, he was treated with auto-injectable epinephrine by the school nurse and survived. Read the full story here http://bit.ly/wrhkoC

Tragedy at School Without Epi-Pen

It is important to have immediate access to an EpiPen, which can be life-saving in a situation like this one.  See article below about a little girl in Virginia who died at school earlier this week, after ingesting a peanut containing food and not having early treatment with epinephrine.  Very sad to see such a preventable situation happen.   Please be careful and make sure your food allergic child's EpiPen is current and available at all times!

http://bit.ly/wUxxCY

Can anaphylaxis return after leaving the ER?

Anaphylaxis is basically a severe allergic reaction. It may include rapidly developing hives, airway obstruction (wheezing or throat swelling), vomiting or diarrhea, drop in blood pressure, and/or loss of consciousness. People with severe food or bee allergies, for example, are at high risk for this type of reaction, and are generally advised to carry an adrenaline auto-injector for emergency use. This can be life saving, since early treatment will often reverse symptoms and allow enough time to get to a nearby hospital for further care.

However, about 11% of these reactions have a second phase occurring 1-20 hours after initial recovery (usually about 8 hours after the first reaction). It is important to be able to predict who is likely to have a second reaction, so that overnight in-hospital close observation can be arranged.

A return of symptoms is more likely if more than one adrenaline injection was needed at the beginning, or if there was a drop in blood pressure requiring IV fluid resuscitation. However, treatment with Benadryl or steroids (Prednisone or Medrol) does not change the likelihood of a second anaphylactic reaction.

Clin Exp Allergy 2009: 39: 1390-6. Clinical predictors for biphasic reactions in children presenting with anaphylaxis. Mehr S, Liew WK, Tey D, Tang ML.