Hooray for columnist Margaret Carlson: Article, "Schools need power of EpiPen"

[paparenttoo]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-13/deaths-show-schools-need-power-of-the-epipen-margaret-carlson.html

[hedgehog]

 

[twinturbo]

That's a really good article.

[tigerlily]

   Wow. Fantastic article! Thank you for posting!

[YouKnowWho]

Yes, it's wonderful to have Epi-pens at school but more important is the knowledge of when to use them.  How many reactions (like the one in Omaha where the little boy knowingly ate a peanut butter granola bar and was not Epi'ed) are not treated appropriately.  The child who died didn't have a chance because the school didn't have an epi-pen but also because they didn't call 911 immediately. 

I also take issue with her statement that it is easy enough for a child to use.  How many places are going to turn that around to say that your child can self-administer in the course of a reaction.  DS1 is darn good about his allergies, speaking up, etc but deathly afraid of shots and during a reaction is not necessarily going to have the ability mentally to do so.  Heck, I have known grown adults to seek others help in administering Epi because they just couldn't make themselves do it.

Having access to Epinephrine in school is a start, but it's a very small step.

[CMdeux]

I guess I have mixed feelings here, too.  I mean, I think this is a GREAT article, and I'm not in any way downplaying the importance of having epi on hand (which I think SHOULD just be a complete no-brainer like having AED's at schools)...


but it seems to me that schools really don't get certain things, and one of them is exactly what anaphylaxis really looks like to begin with. Hint: it isn't any "ONE" thing-- or any pair of them... it's like a freaking Baskin-Robbins from hell... 33 flavors and countless combinations thereof, YK?  Until EVERY school has at least a handful of people available who actually, really-- no REALLY-- know that, then there will be fatalities.  Adding epi doesn't do a gosh darned thing for mitigating ignorance about when to use it.

Secondarily, all of this misses the point in some ways because it is inherently reactive, rather than PROACTIVE.  The only reason why most of us carry epinephrine is because accidents happen.  Yes, that is CRUCIAL, but it hardly eliminates the need to prevent reactions in the first place.

FAR too many people (particularly in schools) think of epinephrine as a "magical, make-it-all-fine" measure and therefore, see NO reason why it is still crucial to PREVENT anaphylaxis to begin with.  Again, as long as that is true, kids are going to wind up as fatality statistics.  This is the one that is SO difficult to convey to people who don't live with LTFA.  Prevention is not optional, because every exposure is Russian Roulette.  If you trigger anaphylaxis, then you're hoping that the local trauma team can deal with it, basically.  Put that way, I think that few people WOULD choose to play Russian Roulette with a loved one.  "Oh-- it'll be fine.  We have a GREAT trauma center... they'll fix it.  No need to worry as long as you get them into surgery right away."   , right?

I'm just sad when I see any advocacy piece that doesn't emphasize that point, because it is BY FAR the largest hurdle we face with others. 

[paparenttoo]

I hear what you are saying...and I too wish that prevention was addressed more. But what I did like about Margaret's article is that she is able to get the general population thinking about the complex nature of food allergies and the complex nature of keeping our kids safe in a public school setting.  I like that she subtly takes to task the entitled "cupcake queens", warring parents, and even food manufactures, i.e. the statement about the peanut butter Cheerios (granted, most of us have drilled our kids to never accept food from anyone!).

And I really do think that it is a good idea for schools to have EpiPens on hand for those emergencies when the student(s), for what ever reason, doesn't have their pen(s) on their person.  I really do think it will save lives. It is a small step approach for sure...but it is a good one IMO.