Five to Stay Alive!

While managing allergies and anaphylaxis has become the norm for most of us, for those AMAZING friends and family who interact with our loved ones with allergies, the thought can be overwhelming (to say the least)!  OrAAA wants to help you out!  Check out our Five to Stay Alive (and share them with those awesome loved ones)!!

1. Learn The Signs of Anaphylaxis

First and foremost,  the best way to ensure your kiddo (or other loved one) gets assistance quickly is to ensure that everyone around them is aware of the signs of anaphylaxis!  You can learn more about the signs of anaphylaxis here.

2. Know your loved one's Emergency Action Plan.

Has your allergist given you an Emergency Action Plan or Food Allergy Action Plan?  Make sure you know what your loved one's plan says.

3. Take 2...Every time, All the time!

Did you know that an recent study found that only (approximately) 40% of patients had epinephrine with them (at appointment time) despite 60% knowing that they needed to carry it all the time (study here)?  Make sure you have AT LEAST two epinephrine auto-injectors with you all the time!  FARE has some great door hangers (here) that can help remind you and your loved one!

4. Learn how to administer Epinephrine.

Since successful administration of epinephrine is key to good outcomes, it is imperative that everyone around your loved one knows where their epinephrine is kept and how to administer it.

More than likely (if you are in the US), your loved one is carrying one of 3 auto-injectors.

If your loved one has an EpiPen, EpiPen Jr., or Adrenaclick, check out this video for a quick how-to on these auto-injectors.

If your loved one has an Auvi-Q, check out this video!

5. Make sure you (or your loved one) are wearing Medical Id Jewelry.

In an emergency, Medical Id Jewelry is the best way to ensure someone can tell responders important health information about your child quickly!  Vital info to include: Name, Allergy, medication (and location if possible).  You can read here for more information from FARE about the importance of Id!

Remember, while reactions can be frightening, preparation can make it SO much easier!

The Elephant In The Classroom...Part Two

In our last post, we decided to take on the proverbial elephant in the classroom...the life threatening nature of food allergies (and the implications of LTFA's in school).

Reporting of death from anaphylaxis is tricky at best.  That being said, deaths at school (from anaphylaxis) have (as far as we know) been fairly accurate and consistent as the internet has become an integral part of our lives.  We live in the age of instant information, and, as such, we learn about these tragedies quickly.  (For a discussion on why death due to anaphylaxis reporting is inconsistent, check out this discussion, forewarning, it is lengthy).

Despite an increase in reported deaths in schools, they appear to be relatively infrequent.  That being said, anaphylactic reactions at school are not.  We (OrAAA) have both had incidences of our children having allergic reactions at school (my daughter went into anaphylactic shock in November of 2013).  According to the CDC, somewhere between 16-18% of food allergic children have had at least one allergic reaction at school, with 25% of those reactions ocurring in students that were not previously diagnosed with food allergies (http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/foodallergies/pdf/13_243135_A_Food_Allergy_Web_508.pdf).  These appear to be consistent with OrAAA's recent survey.

While students with food allergies (in general) and allergic reactions in school appear to be increasing, access to accommodations that help ensure the safety of food allergic students can be difficult to codify (nonetheless enforce).  Protests over accommodations are becoming more common, often pitting parents of food allergic and non-food allergic children against each other (at a time when support and unanimity is most needed).    Retaliation, harassment, and bullying (of both students and parents by both students/families and school staff) are common occurrences.  Battles over accommodations often include complaints or administrative hearings of different types.  In our study, close to 15% of parents reported having filed at least one complaint on behalf of their child/themselves.

What has become clear is that while this issue is not currently being remedied in a time and fashion that ensures the safety of food allergic children currently in school, it is an issue that will have to be addressed soon.  Check back with us next week for our thoughts on the solution to this problem!