7 yr old girl died at school in VA on 1/2/12

[SilverLining]

The way I read it was she is surprised that in this day and age with all the knowledge about food allergies she is surprised that this can still be happening.

I hope that's what she meant.

[MacabreMe]

I can't imagine a school not accepting an epi unless there was no documentation with it and unless the required form was not filled out by a doctor.

But based on the CNN.com article the school did not have epi for the girl abs the school policy called for the school to call the parents. They should have called 911 FIRST.  There were two body systems: hives and breathing trouble. Two.   

[sarahfran]

The way I read it was she is surprised that in this day and age with all the knowledge about food allergies she is surprised that this can still be happening.

I hope that's what she meant.

That's how it seemed to me as well.  She's not surprised that someone can die from this allergy--she's well aware of that.  She's surprised that it can happen in a school, where they should have the knowledge and resources to deal appropriately with an allergic reaction.

[TabiCat]

The way I read it was she is surprised that in this day and age with all the knowledge about food allergies she is surprised that this can still be happening.

I hope that's what she meant.

Yes that is what I was thinking surprised/shocked that a school could still be so ill prepared that it lead to a death. 

[TabiCat]

According to what I read this school had a "good plan" on paper that was even reviewed by an allergist. Yet it clearly wasn't implemented.   

[SilverLining]

Not from what I read TC.  According to the mom, the school refused to allow her to leave the epi-pen at school, and they were supposed to gice benedryl (which even that they didn't do).

[rainbow]

 The school also needs to have generic Epipens available in the Regular and Jr sizes, prescribed by the school's doctor (or county dr).  One of the news reports showed that a neighboring county DID have this. It is essential in case a child has a FIRST reaction (common at this age!) and also in case the parents, who are not medical professionals, did not know enough about LTFA (many parents think their kids have a "mild" allergy) to provide Epipens to the school.

I didn't like how the school/county professionals interviewed put all the responsibility/blame on the PARENT!!! The child DIED during the school day. What exactly did the (FIRST GRADE) child eat?  Did they reduce risk in the classroom/lunchroom? What procedures were in place to reduce risk?  Did the child eat a shared food?

Schools constantly push back on parents by turning the requests to keep a LTFA child safe into a "negotiation".  All the parties, art projects, PTO passing out food, birthday treats brought in by parents, etc.

I'd love to hear what the child ingested.  Very sad for the family.

[CMdeux]

Yes, there are many things that raise red flags for me about this story.  There were obviously several failures

It really sounds like a perfect storm of parents who weren't as well-educated by a physician as they might have been (benadryl isn't how you treat anaphylaxis, after all), coupled with a school process that allowed a child like this to fall through the supposed safety net.  Add to that a child who has never experienced full-blown anaphylaxis and you have a scenario where nobody around the child realizes how grave the danger is.

I can guess that the school may have had an "epi-or-nothing" policy as a result of recent changes pushed by FAAN and AAAAI.  Note that many of our own members have had to push back on treatment orders that include antihistamines in recent years, as well.  Well, if my child's physician wants mild reactions treated that way, and the majority of her reactions (maybe all of them?) had always been of that variety...

I can see the school coming to a place where they'd tell a parent that if they want benadryl administered at school, that child can't have an epinephrine order as well. 

KWIM?

As a parent, I know that the epinephrine isn't a negotiable thing, but does someone who's only seen 'mild' reactions up until then?  It might seem like benadryl was more important, if you KWIM.  Does some health "aide" know that in a peanut allergy, epi is NOT optional?  Maybe.  But maybe not.  I notice that the mom here isn't reporting that she was told that by a school NURSE but by a health aid of some sort. 

Calling home instead of 911 is also a common feature in school fatalities, I'm afraid.  Often it's office or classroom staff that are simply too frightened to take action themselves.

The underlying problem, of course, is inadequate staffing and/or training.  Scary as hell, sure.  But it is maddeningly familiar and-- just-- AUGHHHHH.... to think that this is still happening after all this time.

I, too, hope that this was what Ms. Acebal meant, though it seems strange that it would "surprise" anyone unless they were out of touch with budgetary and staffing realities in schools.   

[maeve]

At work and not much time to post:   Here's the Virginia law about self-carry and administration of asthma meds and epinephrine.
 
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+22.1-274.2
 
CM, there are a few things in your post I want to comment on but won't be able to until later.

[TabiCat]

Not from what I read TC.  According to the mom, the school refused to allow her to leave the epi-pen at school, and they were supposed to gice benedryl (which even that they didn't do).

Yes I know that.

What I mean is there was an"interview"  with an allergist who said he had reviewed and signed of on the district allergy management plan. He said it was a "good plan on paper". 

What I am saying is clearly it stayed on paper. Staff were not properly trained. Medications were not kept up to date (or in this case even accepted) safety precautions were not followed and the child's emergency plan was not followed.   

[TabiCat]

We take our kids in to registrar. We are handed a nice pretty allergy management plan that SOUNDS oh so right. Schools pat themselves on the back for writing a good allergy management plan and then what?

As long as it sits on paper it means NOTHING. Yet parents feel reassured that their school is on top of things because they have a food allergy plan/policy at their school. 

[aggiedog]

Horrible.

I also take the quote to mean, loosely translated "Are you freaking kidding me?  Can't you people have a plan and USE it, and USE the epi!!?"

Poor baby.  I feel for her family.

[Mfamom]

Yes, there are many things that raise red flags for me about this story.  There were obviously several failures

It really sounds like a perfect storm of parents who weren't as well-educated by a physician as they might have been (benadryl isn't how you treat anaphylaxis, after all), coupled with a school process that allowed a child like this to fall through the supposed safety net.  Add to that a child who has never experienced full-blown anaphylaxis and you have a scenario where nobody around the child realizes how grave the danger is.

I can guess that the school may have had an "epi-or-nothing" policy as a result of recent changes pushed by FAAN and AAAAI.  Note that many of our own members have had to push back on treatment orders that include antihistamines in recent years, as well.  Well, if my child's physician wants mild reactions treated that way, and the majority of her reactions (maybe all of them?) had always been of that variety...I can see the school coming to a place where they'd tell a parent that if they want benadryl administered at school, that child can't have an epinephrine order as well. 

KWIM?

As a parent, I know that the epinephrine isn't a negotiable thing, but does someone who's only seen 'mild' reactions up until then?  It might seem like benadryl was more important, if you KWIM.  Does some health "aide" know that in a peanut allergy, epi is NOT optional?  Maybe.  But maybe not.  I notice that the mom here isn't reporting that she was told that by a school NURSE but by a health aid of some sort. 

Calling home instead of 911 is also a common feature in school fatalities, I'm afraid.  Often it's office or classroom staff that are simply too frightened to take action themselves.

The underlying problem, of course, is inadequate staffing and/or training.  Scary as hell, sure.  But it is maddeningly familiar and-- just-- AUGHHHHH.... to think that this is still happening after all this time.

I, too, hope that this was what Ms. Acebal meant, though it seems strange that it would "surprise" anyone unless they were out of touch with budgetary and staffing realities in schools.   

bold mine.  Yes, that's what I was thinking.  Back when ds started school, he often had mystery hives, environmental allergies.  Back then, (now in 8th) it was daunting as a mom...they were saying all or nothing if the nurse wasn't there.  So, at that time, thinking about how many times ds needed benadryl for environmental thing...I was freaked out thinking how many times he might get the epi pen.

Anyway, I wonder if the aide declined the epi pen because they have school issued ones or if she didn't understand anaphylaxis etc. 

In any case it is such a terrrible story

[CMdeux]

Yes, mostly I'm just appalled that ANY person affiliated with K-12 education can be so ignorant of the potential for fatal anaphylaxis at this point in time...


and I'm feeling terribly angry and heartbroken that this family lost their precious daughter.   

[rainbow]

Not from what I read TC.  According to the mom, the school refused to allow her to leave the epi-pen at school, and they were supposed to gice benedryl (which even that they didn't do).

To me it kinda sounds like one of those situations where the school staff says, "Has he/she ever had an anaphylactic reaction?" (Schools love to ask that, as if it's relevant, but it's not because peanut allergy is unpredictable and tends to get more severe w/ each reaction).
Parent answers, "Well, no but she has had hives,etc many times and Benadryl has worked".
School staff says, "OK then you can keep the Epipen at home. We have Benadryl here".

IMO, the SCHOOL is NEGLIBLE here.  A neighboring district has generic Epipens on hand.  Since the school made no effort to administer Epipen, and the school knew she had a peanut allergy, documented in an Allergy Action Plan, and didn't have an Epipen to use, the school is liable.  The school staff did not do everything they could, and the child died during the school day.