Kids with Peanut Allergies Need Epi-Pen Handy
Peanut allergies are back in the news with a recent Canadian report
that about half of children with this type allergy routinely do not have
their epinephrine autoinjec-tion (Epi-Pen) with them when they are at
school. Surveying over 250 schoolchildren with known allergy to peanuts,
researchers found that the largest group kept the device in the
school nurse’s office. One report indicates that 35 states in the US have
passed legislation that allows students with this allergy to carry their
epinephrine autoinjector with them at school. Having epinephrine on
hand and self injecting it immediately reduces the risk of a possible severe
or potentially deadly reaction. When given quickly, epinephrine
works against such reactions as in bronchial spasms, drop in blood pressure,
and/or swelling around the throat, in such a way that an individual
may not be able to breathe.
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease,
one out of 100 Americans has peanut or a nut allergy. Surprisingly,
as many as 50 to 100 people in the US die each year from severe allergic
reactions to peanuts.