Anaphylaxis in Schools - Access to adrenaline auto-injectors

A survey carried out in the US shows how vital access to adrenaline in public places is.

Anaphylaxis is an unpredictable, life threatening allergic reaction that has rapid onset symptoms. In the US, one in 25 people (1 in 13 children) have one or more food allergies. Anaphylaxis is treated using adrenaline (epinephrine), usually in the form of a single use auto-injector. Since anaphylaxis symptoms are so rapid, it’s important to have access to adrenaline at all times.

Mylan’s EPIPEN4SCHOOLS® program provides 4 free stock EpiPen® auto-injectors to US schools. This auto-injectors can be used for anyone who experiences an anaphylactic reaction in the school, without a prescription.

Anaphylaxis is relatively common in US schools. The survey was given to 6574 schools who participate in the EPIPEN4SCHOOLS® program. A total of 1140 anaphylactic events were reported, of which almost 90% occurred in students at the schools.

Most of the students who experienced anaphylaxis were older, with 45% being high school students, 19% being middle school students and 32.5% being elementary school students. This is consistent with previous studies which show that teenagers between 15 and 19 years old are the most likely to be hospitalized for anaphylactic reactions than those aged between 5 and 14 years. Older teenagers are more likely to be in unsupervised social situations where they may feel pressured to engage in risky behaviours. Food was the most common anaphylaxis trigger with 60% of the events being triggered by food.

The survey also showed that 25% of the individuals who experienced anaphylaxis has no previously known allergies. This trend was seen across all grade levels. This shows how important access to stock adrenaline is. The stock EpiPen® auto-injectors were used in 38% of cases.

Access to adrenaline is important not just in schools, but in other public places such as restaurants, sports clubs, shopping centres, universities and more. The number of people with allergies is growing, it’s important that access to this life saving medication grows too.

Source: https://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/ped.2016.0675

Disclaimer: The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Allergy Lifestyle Limited (t/a) Allergy Lifestyle) uses reasonable endeavours to check the accuracy of information provided however no warranty is given that they are error-free. Always seek the advice of an allergy specialist and follow your anaphylaxis emergency care plan.