Severe Allergies & Epi-Pen Administration Health Services
Department
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Presentation Overview Impact of food allergies on children What
is a food allergy? Triggers that worsen food allergies Mild signs
& symptoms of allergies Medical management of mild signs &
symptoms Anaphylaxis (severe signs & symptoms of an emergency;
interventions) Medical management of severe signs & symptoms
Preventative measures
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Why You Have This Training In accordance with Education Code
(EC) Section 49414, legislation was enacted to develop minimum
standards of training for school personnel in the administration of
epinephrine auto-injectors. It is estimated that severe allergies
affect nearly 40 million Americans in all age groups and put those
individuals at risk of death from anaphylaxis.
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Impact of Food Allergies Four out of every 100 children have a
food allergy. Food allergies are becoming more common AND
hospitalizations related to food allergies are also increasing.
Children with food allergies are two to four times more likely to
have other related conditions such as asthma and other allergies,
compared with children without food allergiesAND are more likely to
experience anaphylactic reactions to foods and be at higher risk of
death.
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What are Food Allergies? A food allergy is an abnormal response
to a food triggered by the bodys immune system. No food allergy
symptoms occur on the first time a person is exposed to the food
First exposure can be: By eating or ingesting a food allergen
Touching a food allergen Using or eating other products with the
food allergen No cure
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Allergy Triggers The eight major food allergens identified are:
1. Milk 2. Eggs 3. Fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod) 4. Crustacean
shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp) 5. Tree nuts (e.g.,
almonds, walnuts, pecans) 6. Peanuts 7. Wheat 8. Soybeans
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Other Severe Allergy Triggers Common causes: Food Insect stings
(bees, hornets, yellow jackets) Medication (e.g. antibiotics,
aspirin, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) Latex Uncommon
causes: Food dependent exercise induced anaphylaxis (rare)
Idiopathic anaphylaxis
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Food Allergies vs. Food Intolerance Food allergies are
different from a food intolerance A food intolerance is the bodys
abnormal reaction to a food but DOES NOT involve the immune system
A doctor can confirm the presence or absence of a food allergy
and/or food intolerance Types of Food Intolerance: - Lactose
Intolerance -Food additives -Gluten Intolerance -Food poisoning
-Histamine toxicity Signs & Symptoms: -Bloating -Abdominal pain
or cramping -Diarrhea -Nausea & vomiting
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Mild Signs & Symptoms Symptoms of food allergies typically
appear from within a few minutes to two hours after a person has
eaten the food to which he or she is allergic. Allergic reactions
can include: Hives Flushed skin or rash Tingling or itchy sensation
in the mouth Itching (of any part of the body) Face, tongue, or lip
swelling (or any body part) Vomiting and/or diarrhea Abdominal
cramps Coughing or wheezing Dizziness and/or lightheadedness
Swelling of the throat and vocal cords Difficulty breathing Loss of
consciousness
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Medication Management Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) An
antihistamine Relieves mild signs & symptoms like: Hives
Flushed skin or rash Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth Face,
tongue, or lip swelling Minor throat or airway irritation Follow
the directions labeled on the package or bottle prior to giving the
medicine. Can have side effects: Drowsiness Dry mouth, nose &
throat Excitement (especially in children)
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Severe Signs and Symptoms A severe, life-threatening allergic
reaction is called anaphylaxis. This can lead to: Constricted
airways in the lungs Severe lowering of blood pressure and shock
(anaphylactic shock) Suffocation by swelling of the throat
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Medication Management
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What To Do in An Emergency Notice the signs & symptoms Take
all reactions seriously Try to keep calm Initiate EPI-PEN
medication treatment as prescribed by the doctor immediately CALL
FOR AN AMBULANCE THEN CALL THE PARENT(S) 1 in 4 will have a latent
reaction
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Epi-Pen Video
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How to Prevent a Reaction Strict avoidance of food allergens
Know mild & severe signs & symptoms of allergic reactions
Read food labels prior to consumption If an individual is known to
have severe reactions to food allergens then have an Epi-Pen
prescribed by a doctor on hand Know how and when to administer an
Epi-Pen Have an action plan
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What You Need at School An Emergency Care Plan A Dietary
Prescription completed by physician (for food allergies only) A
Medication Administration Authorization form An Epi-pen CPR
training
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Sample Emergency Care Plan
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Sample Dietary Prescription
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Medication Authorization Form
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Resources Center for Disease Control and Prevention 1600
Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY:
(888) 232-6348 E: [email protected] http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/ (800)
822-2762 Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network 11781 Lee Jackson
Highway, Suite 160 Fairfax, VA 220333309 8009294040
www.foodallergy.org Food Allergy Initiative 1414 Avenue of the
Americas, Suite 1804 New York, NY 100192514 2122071974
www.faiusa.org National Institute of Allergy & Infectious
Diseases 6610 Rockledge Drive, MSC 6612 Bethesda, MD 20892-6612
United States of America Phone: 301-402-1663 Email:
[email protected] Fax: [email protected]
www.niaid.nih.gov U.S. Food and Drug Administration 10903 New
Hampshire Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20993 Ph. 1-888-INFO-FDA
(1-888-463-6332) http://www.fda.gov/
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References Branum, A. M., & Lukacs, S. L. U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF, National Center for Health Statistics. (2008). Food allergy
among U.S. children: Trends in prevalence and hospitalizations.
Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db10.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db10.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2012). Food allergies
in schools. Retrieved from website:
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/foodallergies/
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/foodallergies/ Mondello, W. (2009,
Oct/Nov). Food-allergic children and their emotional wellbeing.
Living Without, Retrieved from
http://www.livingwithout.com/issues/3_6/Emotional-State-Food-Allergic-Children-1022-
1.htmlhttp://www.livingwithout.com/issues/3_6/Emotional-State-Food-Allergic-Children-1022-
1.html National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National
Library of Medicine (2011). Diphenhydramine. Retrieved from PubMed
Health website:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000704/ National
Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases. (2010). Food allergy: An overview. Retrieved from NIH
Publication website:
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/Documents/foodallergy.pdf
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/Documents/foodallergy.pdf
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD. (2010). Food
allergies: What you need to know. Retrieved from website:
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/UCM220117.pdf
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/UCM220117.pdf
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Food allergies: Reducing
the risks (video) [Web]. Retrieved from
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm182842.htm