Epinephrine in schools could save children’s lives
Colton County, 6, a first-grader at Burgetts-town Area Elementary Center, keeps his EpiPen handy because of his nut allergy.
This chart shows which states have laws requiring schools to stock epinephrine. Pennsylvania is one of just four that does not have a law allowing or requiring schools to stock the drug.
When he was 2 years old, Colton County was diagnosed with nut allergies. He’s now 6 and a first-grader at Burgettstown Area Elementary Center, and his mother, Katie, can send him to school secure in the knowledge that if he should have an allergic reaction his prescription of epinephrine is on hand.
But, what about students with undiagnosed allergies?
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, among students who have experienced anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, at school, 25 percent had not been previously diagnosed with an allergy. Some of those students have died as a result.
A bill requiring schools to stock nonpatient-specific epinephrine auto-injectors, or EpiPens, was approved by the state Senate Appropriations Committee and awaits action in the full Senate.
Introduced by Rep. Richard R. Stevenson, R-Butler/Mercer, and approved Dec. 10 by the state House of Representatives, the bill is now sponsored by Sen. Matt Smith, D-Mt. Lebanon. It would mandate that schools have a supply of EpiPens in a secure location, to be used by trained staff to treat anaphylaxis.
“The number of children with food allergies and the incidence of life-threatening allergic reactions to food in schools are rising,” Smith stated in a press release.
“Schools are meant to be a safe place for children. It’s not enough to encourage schools to stock epinephrine injectors. To truly protect our children, we must ensure they have access to life-saving medication.”
It is currently up to school districts to decide if they will stock non-prescription epinephrine. For example, Washington and Trinity school districts have a policy keeping emergency epinephrine on site; West Greene School District does not stock emergency epinephrine.
Pennsylvania is one of the last four states that has no legislation allowing or requiring schools to stock the drug.
Lynda Mitchell, vice president of Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Kids with Food Allergies Division, knows the importance of having quick access to epinephrine; she is the mother of a child with severe food allergies.
Without epinephrine, the only thing schools can do now in the event of an anaphylactic reaction is call 911.
“It can get bad very quickly,” Mitchell said. “The very last thing we would want would be for someone to die.”
Severe allergic reactions are not just limited to food.
Reactions can be caused by latex, medications, bee stings and other insect bites.
In 2013, a 13-year-old Texas student died after being bitten by fire ants during a school football game. At the time, Corpus Christi Independent School District had a policy in which only students with a prescription could receive EpiPen treatment. Doctors who treated the boy said that he would have almost certainly survived if had received epinephrine.
Not only should schools stock EpiPens, but they should also have staff trained in administration and recognizing the signs of an allergic reaction, said Mitchell. Indicators of anaphylaxis include flushed skin, rash, swelling of tissues such as lips or joints, stuffy nose, sweating, paleness, panting, nausea, abdominal cramps, rapid pulse, faintness, confusion, wheezing, convulsions, passing out, itching of the mouth and throat, hoarseness and feeling the need to urinate.
Studies show that, from 1997 to 2011, food allergies increased by 50 percent.
“Schools need to be prepared,” said Mitchell. “It’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.”