{"id":308,"date":"2013-11-19T00:56:06","date_gmt":"2013-11-19T05:56:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.allergyhome.org\/blogger\/?p=308"},"modified":"2016-03-11T22:57:44","modified_gmt":"2016-03-12T03:57:44","slug":"anaphylaxis-in-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allergyhome.org\/blogger\/anaphylaxis-in-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Anaphylaxis: What School Staff Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anaphylaxis: What School Staff Need to Know<\/h1>\n

Written by<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Michael Pistiner MD, MMSc<\/a>, Reviewed by Anne Sheetz\u00a0MPH, BSN, RN, CNAA, Adapted from Food Allergies & Anaphylaxis in School: What School Staff Need to Know<\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n

The below is intended to serve as a guide to assist in, not replace, training provided by the school nurse or designee. Although written for a target audience of school staff this post can give parents, school nurses, administration and others an outline of things to consider when preparing for anaphylaxis in our schools. As laws and policies vary state by state and district by district,\u00a0discuss your locale’s regulations with your school nurse or principal.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Anaphylaxis<\/a>

Anaphylaxis is like water damage. The longer it lasts, the harder it is to fix.<\/p><\/div>\n

Anaphylaxis<\/b>\u00a0is a severe, life threatening, allergic reaction.\u00a0 Children with food allergies and other allergic disorders, like latex and insect sting allergy, are at risk for this allergic emergency.\u00a0Anaphylaxis\u00a0occurs in schools, and first time allergic reactions and\u00a0anaphylaxis\u00a0can also occur. Anaphylaxis, a reaction that can involve more than one organ system, like skin, lungs, heart, gastrointestinal, and brain may start off mild in severity and quickly evolve into a more severe reaction that can be more difficult to treat.\u00a0 Children can experience allergic reactions in very different ways, and each child can have different reactions from ones that they had in the past. \u00a0Keep in mind that anaphylaxis can start with mild symptoms but progress quickly.\u00a0 Delays in treatment with epinephrine increase the risk of dying from these reactions. Epinephrine, a quick acting and safe medicine, is the first line, treatment of choice for\u00a0anaphylaxis and given using an auto-injector. Policies and procedures should be developed to ensure that allergic emergencies are quickly recognized and appropriately treated. Like water damage, the longer anaphylaxis goes on for, the harder it is to fix the damage done. \u00a0Anaphylaxis\u00a0or food allergy emergency care plans are tools created by a healthcare provider for the specific student and it is important to refer to this plan during a reaction. Talk to your school nurse and\/or administration to learn more about\u00a0anaphylaxis\u00a0and learn your role in your schools emergency protocol.<\/b><\/p>\n

Are you prepared to\u00a0R.E.Act<\/span>?<\/h1>\n

R<\/b><\/span>ECOGNIZE AN ALLERGIC REACTION:<\/b><\/h1>\n