Epinephrine injection is the first line treatment of food allergy-related anaphylaxis - a tragic case reminder

Here is the Twitter timeline of Dr. Silge, an allergist/immunologist, with comments on a recent news report:

Tragic death in VA school w/ peanut allergic patient bit.ly/yWxgXI. This is why schools need access to epi. bit.ly/wyJrFP

— Robert Silge, MD (@DrSilge) January 4, 2012

While I have no info beyond a news story, also tragic it seems she had an action plan, without epi as part of it. bit.ly/yWxgXI

— Robert Silge, MD (@DrSilge) January 4, 2012

Very unclear to me why such a limited plan was in place. Article implies that the school wouldn't accept the family's Epipen.

— Robert Silge, MD (@DrSilge) January 4, 2012

Text summary (edited):

Robert Silge, MD @DrSilge: "Tragic death in VA school with a peanut allergic patient bit.ly/yWxgXI. This is why schools need access to EpiPen (bit.ly/wyJrFP). While I have no info beyond a news story, also tragic it seems she had an action plan, without epi as part of it ( bit.ly/yWxgXI). It's very unclear to me why such a limited plan was in place. The article implies that the school wouldn't accept the family's EpiPen.

Always remember: Epinephrine injection (EpiPen) is the first line treatment of food allergy-related anaphylaxis

Tips for managing food allergy (MJA, 2004):

- Always carry an EpiPen 2-Pak
- Always read food labels
- Ask questions about food preparation (be aware of the risk of cross-contamination)
- No label/no eat
- No EpiPen/no eat
- Tell friends about a serious food allergy
- Tell friends if feeling unwell, especially after eating



Eleanor Garrow, Vice President of Education and Outreach for FAAN, talks about living with food allergies, 2010.

This is a good summary from USA Today:

Pediatric allergy specialist Robert Wood of the Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore: "We reassure parents that kids will have a reaction. Somebody is going to make a mistake. But we reassure parents that kids are not going to die. These are preventable deaths. Kids who die from food allergies tend to have three things in common: asthma; nut allergies, which are usually more serious; and a delay in getting injectable epinephrine, which can stop fatal allergic reactions."

References:

Food Allergy Basics (video)

How To Use An Epipen (Epinephrine Autoinjector)

Related reading:

Pupil, 7, who 'loved school' dies after suffering allergic reaction to peanuts during recess break. Mail Online. 14-year-old girl with food allergy in coma after she ate cereal labeled "peanut" and "nutty" and didn't have EpiPen http://goo.gl/DAKuk