Gave my first epi-pen yesterday...

[ohiobobcat]

Student ate a granola bar and a bag of flavored chips. Then she broke out in hives. I gave her Benadryl. Then the hives got worse. No other symptoms. I gave her more Benadryl and called mom to come get her. As mom was on her way, student started c/o shortness of breath. "I feel like there's a bubble in my chest." Epi-pen given. Called 911. Called mom again so she would know what happened and so she wouldn't panic when she saw the ambulances in the parking lot.

I worked in the ER, so I have treated many allergic reactions, but I have never actually used an Epi-pen before. I guess I can check that one off my bucket list (?!?) now.

[SnowyJ, RN]

Yes, I could expect a reaction even from the smell of nuts or residue, but to be epi worthy when just nearby is severe! This is why I tell parents of allergic kids it can be risky to sit with the nut eating kids at lunch.

My friend's granddaughter is peanut allergic. They were on a plane to Florida and someone near them ate a Reeses peanut butter cup. Just that alone gave the poor little thing hives and a scratchy throat. And you KNOW they don't wipe down everything as they should between flights either.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

She didn't even ingest it and had that kind of reaction? That's scary!

This concerns me, because we are NOT a nut free school, and many of my nut allergic children have MD permission to sit at regular cafe tables with kids eating PB, etc.

You do have to wonder what happened...Like did a crumb from the bar contaminate the allergic child's food..?

Yep. And first time epi and the kid was downright scared, even when kid returned to school today. I can't blame the kid. I talked with my very supportive principals to revisit the policy and how teachers can help. The student and I discussed leaving a classroom if they notice another student with a peanut or tree nut product.

Student is also allergic to bananas, a common fruit served with lunch. Poor thing saw the bananas at lunch today and ran to my office to hide during lunch. No joke.

[ctate3]

She didn't even ingest it and had that kind of reaction? That's scary!

This concerns me, because we are NOT a nut free school, and many of my nut allergic children have MD permission to sit at regular cafe tables with kids eating PB, etc.

You do have to wonder what happened...Like did a crumb from the bar contaminate the allergic child's food..?

One of my LD from yesterday's craw-fish was just being near it. I had a LD that was allergic to cinnamon. Her sophomore/junior year we treated with Benedryl. The summer between her junior and senior year the reaction was so severe she carried an epi-pen. She could walk by the classroom where they were cooking cinnamon rolls and she would break out. She even had a reaction to cinnamon air freshener when a teacher sprayed it in the hallway she was walking down.

[ContraryMary]

What is LD?!? Little Dear?

[ctate3]

What is LD?!? Little Dear?

Little Darling/Little Dear either way works.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

I had a teacher who was eating nuts in the classroom at her desk. Said teacher passed out papers to the students that she likely contaminated with nut "dust". Allergic student touches paper and touches face. Allergic student experiences a reaction. Luckily, only a minor reaction, but a reaction nonetheless. *SIGH* Don't teachers read the Emergency Care Plans that I distribute at the beginning of the year?

Nope