Epi Pen makes a good day

Nurses General Nursing

Published

So we're letting people drop off old prescription meds at work, and I was bored and rummaging through the bags and found an epi pen. I pulled it out of the case, saw it was expired, and then behold I saw that it was unused. :idea:

Being the mischevious guy that I am I pulled the safety cap off, used the edges of my thumbs to depress the barrel, and POW! Wow. That needle shot out of there with enough force to drive through a 2x4. Looked big too. Shot the epi clear across the room. I was impressed. :D

Fun stuff. Made my day.

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

You should have started with "kids don't try this at home"...

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Specializes in CEN, CPEN, RN-BC.

I've heard stories of troops panicking when using the MARK I and instead of holding it against their leg and pressing they've swung it into their leg, breaking their femur.

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Specializes in LTC.

Sounds like something I would do.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

YOU'LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT!!!!! :bugeyes:

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Boys will be Boys, lol :rckn:

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Step-down Unit.

One of my fellow EMT instructors shot his thumb with one. Pulled the cap and then put the end with the cap on the table and pressed... :rolleyes:

It was the only "live" EpiPen we had at the program site. Right into the sharps box it went. Then we watched as we gave the rest of the students a demo on the side effects of epinephrine.

To this day, I use this as a scenario when we do practical skills stations with the students and I see one holding it backwards: "OK, you hear a click and feel a sharp stinging sensation in your thumb. You begin to feel palpitations. The patient develops more severe shortness of breath and becomes unresponsive..." :D It gets the point across to them!

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

They're powerful little gadgets!

When we do training for our school district, we "deploy" an expired Epi-pen into a Tupperware container to show the staff just how forceful they are. It's always a show stopper.

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Specializes in Oncology.

I've heard of someone stabbing them self in the thumb with one, having the epi go into their thumb, and having tissue damage in their thumb from the epi vasoconstricting it. Not a great idea to play with it.

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Specializes in Peds and PICU.

He he he...I've done the same thing with my own expired epipen!

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quick question. when an Epi-Pen is given you don't hold the skin like you would with for example a SubQ injection. You just inject it anywhere in the thigh right

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Specializes in Peds and PICU.

You want to inject it into the lateral upper thigh. Its such a powerful force that you don't even have to take off your pants to inject it....even if you were wearing jeans!

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