I thought I saved enough empty posts so that I wouldn't have to keep raising this thread, but I've run out of room again. This time I'll save a lot, just in case. Sorry to bump again.
Just reminding readers, yet again, please follow the "food allergy action plan" & "asthma action plan" given to you by your doctor(s). If you have questions/concerns about issues raised in this thread, make sure to discuss them with your doctor(s).----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Using Epinephrine to Treat Allergic Asthma"
http://itchylittleworld.com/2013/10/15/using-epinephrine-to-treat-allergic-asthma/Today my son’s allergist told me that I should use epinephrine ANY time my son starts to show signs of breathing distress after exposure to a known food allergen. And I should use it first, before Benedryl or Ventolin. And if he’s going into an asthma crisis unrelated to food, to go ahead and use epinephrine as well.
The comments following that above blog post are also very interesting.
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FARE webinar - "Your Questions Answered: Anaphylaxis"
Dr. Robert A. Wood
http://blog.foodallergy.org/2013/11/15/your-questions-answered-anaphylaxis/How can you distinguish between symptoms of anaphylaxis and other illnesses? (e.g., asthma attack, random hives, stomach cramps, or anxiety attack)
The symptoms can be identical. What we want to do is interpret the symptoms in the context of the overall situation and the chance that there’s been a food exposure.
Could we write some of those criteria used to interpret "Lung" symptoms into the asthma plan? If a FA parent tells somebody (like a family member or the school nurse) how to interpret the symptoms and which plan (asthma or allergy) to follow in a certain situation, what the parent says doesn't have the same credibility or permanency as what the doc(s) have
actually written in the plans. In an emergency, interpreting the symptoms (especially for non-medical caregivers) can be really tricky. At some point, some of them could use a little kick - hey, get out of the asthma plan - you need to be looking at the food allergy plan.
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They are not suggesting this for everyone (personal docs must decide) ...
Children's Mercy - Kansas City
"Red Zone Treatment"
http://tinyurl.com/kgq6m64If the patient is having a perceived life-threatening event, peripheral or central cyanosis, or worsening symptoms then the epinephrine should be administered and local emergency services contacted immediately.
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