Severe Allergic Reaction Treatment In Elementary Schools Age Children

Severe food allergies are on the rise in the United States. Administration of epinephrine is the most effective medication to treat severe anaphylactic reactions. However, because epinephrine is administered as an injection, most elementary school children are not capable or not allowed to self administer this medication in times of emergency. School aged children must rely on their care provider at home and in school to recognize the symptoms of anaphylaxis in order provide this life saving medicine. The most widely prescribed form of epinephrine is auto-inject EpiPen which cost over $600 and is not fully covered by some insurance companies. That puts some populations at risk for untreated allergic reaction due to inability to afford the treatment and alternative options must be considered. Lastly, not all children with allergies we diagnosed and purchased the EpiPen, however they still need to be treated if a reaction is to occur.

Epipen is a …show more content…
According to www.consumerreports.org, one can purchase syringe and a vial of epinephrine for just a few dollars compared to hundreds with auto-inject EpiPen. However, the cheaper alternative has a few downfalls. First, the provider should be skilled at calculating, measuring, drawing up and administering stock medications instead of using premeasured auto-inject options. Additionally, the shelf life of a vial is about three month, compared to twelve to eighteen month for epipen. That option might be too intimidating and unsafe for an untrained parent, however, as trained registered nurses, school nurses possess the required skill and training, so switching to this alternative. By using a syringe and a vial of epinephrine, school nurses can provide huge money saving impact on emergency supply cost as well as epinephrine provided by allergic childs’