Epi-pen at school?

[Brooke]

Do you think that kids with extreme allergies should be able to carry their epi-pen with them in elementary school?

My cousin's son, who has a severe peanut allergy, is being home schooled because the school will not allow him to carry his epi-pen with him. He'll be 6 in 2 weeks. I'm not even sure he knows how to use the epi-pen. He's never had to use it, even at home.

All schools here have school nurses, real nurses, not volunteer moms like it was when I was in school. School policy would be that the nurse keeps the epi-pen in the health room.

I don't think I would feel comfortable knowing that a first grader in my daughter's school was carrying an epi-pen with them in class or at recess or on the bus. What do you think?

[magoo]

I absolutely think that kids should have their epi pens on their person at all times. They should know how to use it, and any adults who work with that child should also know how to use it. A little boy I used to have in an afterschool program had a fanny pack for his. It was never a big deal. In the case of an anaphylacitc shock, seconds count. The time it takes to get the child to a nurse, or the nurse to the child could mean the difference between life and death.

[Connie1222]

I definitely think it should be allowed.

[AmyP]

My mom used to teach at a private school and there was a child with a severe peanut allergy. He was in the first or second grade at the time. Anyway, he had a little kit he used to hand the teacher if he switched rooms. It had the epi-pen, and a little walkie-talkie. He had a sign he made if he was having trouble (because his throat would close and he couldn't speak), and the teachers were all instructed as to how to use the epi-pen, and the teacher would call the nurse. The child, as far as I know, never had the epi-pen in his possession except to switch classrooms, which he never did unsupervised. Since it was a private school he wasn't on the bus. And I believe at recess, the teacher in charge of recess would have his "kit."

I would be comfortable in that situation. I wouldn't want a 6-year-old carrying around a needle. But if it was in a kit where he couldn't accidentally use it on someone, I wouldn't be too worried about it.

The school also had a fairly strict peanut-free policy. The kids were not to have peanut products in their lunches, and I believe parents were supplied with a list of these foods (other than the obvious stuff, like peanut butter).

Also, the child had his own keyboard, mouse, and mouse pad for computer time. And when my mom taught him, she wiped down all the desks before his class would come into the room.

[EricaW]

I think it should be allowed. When you need to use it, you need it right then. The child and their teacher(s) should be trained on how to use it.

[Melissa]

I absolutely think that kids should have their epi pens on their person at all times. They should know how to use it, and any adults who work with that child should also know how to use it. A little boy I used to have in an afterschool program had a fanny pack for his. It was never a big deal. In the case of an anaphylacitc shock, seconds count. The time it takes to get the child to a nurse, or the nurse to the child could mean the difference between life and death.
I absolutely agree. Kids can really be mature when they realize that this is a life or death type of item vs something to use on another student as a joke. I don't remember any kids with asthma fooling around with their inhalers in school. :dunno:

[Barb]

Absolutely it should be allowed. What, you're going to tell every kid who has an allergy that they can't go to school? Just give the epi-pen to the teacher if it's a problem. :nod:

[Nichole]

That sounds completely illegal to me! Not allowing life-saving medication has got to be a violation of the ADA.

I would have no issue with a child in my kid's class having an epi-pen. I would think the teacher (or whichever adult is in charge where the child is at the time) would have control of it. If he needs an epi-pen, he needs an epi-pen. I'm sure he knows it's not a toy that he can wave around and poke at other kids.

And if he's got a severe or life-threatening allergy, his parents really should be teaching him how to use that epi-pen. IMO, they're putting him in danger by not teaching him.

[sheila]

I absolutely think that kids should have their epi pens on their person at all times. They should know how to use it, and any adults who work with that child should also know how to use it. A little boy I used to have in an afterschool program had a fanny pack for his. It was never a big deal. In the case of an anaphylacitc shock, seconds count. The time it takes to get the child to a nurse, or the nurse to the child could mean the difference between life and death.That sounds completely illegal to me! Not allowing life-saving medication has got to be a violation of the ADA.

I would have no issue with a child in my kid's class having an epi-pen. I would think the teacher (or whichever adult is in charge where the child is at the time) would have control of it. If he needs an epi-pen, he needs an epi-pen. I'm sure he knows it's not a toy that he can wave around and poke at other kids.

And if he's got a severe or life-threatening allergy, his parents really should be teaching him how to use that epi-pen. IMO, they're putting him in danger by not teaching him.

Thanks Sarah and Nichole. This is what I was thinking and you saved me the time it would've taken to type it out!

What would they do with a child on an insulin pump? Say he couldn't have it?

[Shel]

My cousin's daughter is severly allergic to insect stings, and got stung by a wasp on the playground. It's a darn good thing she had her epi pen on her, because by the time the teacher even realized what was going on, Sarah had already given herself the injection and was still wheezing. They still had to take her to the ER via ambulance, but she had just enough of the epi in her to slow down the reaction until she could get a bigger dose. If she wouldn't have had the initial dose, who knows what would have happened to her.

[kalm]

Interesting conversation!

Lilly has a peanut allergy (she's been tested with a high sensitivity, but we've never had a major reaction, thankfully) and her Epi-Pen Jr. is kept in the school nurse's office. In preschool it was kept in a locked cabinet in the classroom. Our doctors are okay with the school's policy, and I'm not objecting to it at this point. Though she's only just turned 5 a few months ago, I do believe she's mature enough to carry it, though I don't know if she'd be brave enough to administer it herself (we have practiced with the training pen and she can tell you exactly how to use it). What would the risk/worry about not keeping it with them be? Someone would get ahold of it and "administer" it in some sort of unauthorized way?

[Jillian]

I think they should either be on the child or with the teacher everywhere the child goes. The 2 minutes it takes to go from the nurses office to the playground can be to long if the kid can't breath, resulting in brain damage. I'd much prefer the kid got to keep it with them then putting him at risk by making it stay in the nurses office.

We don't have epi-pens but Kincaid has diastat(which is no where near as emergent...you have a 5 minute warning before needing to use it), the nurse has one, and his teacher has an emergency bag that has one in it (also some medicine for another girl in the class) and that bag is given to the librarian at library time, the gym teacher for gym class, etc etc etc.

[Melissa]

What would the risk/worry about not keeping it with them be? Someone would get ahold of it and "administer" it in some sort of unauthorized way?
I think the issue is time. For example, in a large lunch room, child has p-butter starts to have a reaction. How long before a fellow student tells the teacher or the teacher notices. THEN the teacher either needs to administer the shot because s/he has it OR then needs to find and get the nurse. This whole process can take up to 5 minutes or more. That is a LONG time for someone with a life-threatening condition.

[MrsPeacefrog]

Aiden needs a Epipen because of his nut allergy. At the moment he is in preschool and they keep it in the medicine cabinet in his classroom with a info sheet withhis photo on it. in a few months when he starts kindergarten His epipen will be kept with his teacher in his classroom, then when it's lunchtime, the epipen is given to the teacher who is on duty in the playground, she has a bumbag and will keep it in there. There will be a photo of him on the container until they become 100% familiar with who has what medicatin (they have asthma pumps etc in there too) I am fine with this. I personally would not like Aiden carrying around his epipen everywhere incase he lost it. He also likes to play with it and I fear someone else getting hold of it and opening it up. they are not cheap so i would hate to have to constantly buy replacements due to kids being kids. Not to mention it being wasted on play and me needing to immediatly replace it just incase. Also it's heat sensitive, it's not meant to be kept out in the sun, so how a child can avoid that if they are carrying it on their person I don't know.

If the school had the option for the supervising teacher to carry it and they have refused that then I think they are being a little over the top, but if he isn't allowed to have the epipen there at all then I think that is completely odd!


If the teacher on duty has it on them and they are all trained to administer it, then I don't see an issue with time here. Also, when Aiden has his major reaction there would be NO WAY he could administer it himself, he was unable to breath and on the verge of passing out, how do you expect someone A CHILD at that in that state tokeep a level head to know when to adminster it? Our Dr's have never recommended him learning how to use it, EVER so I dont' see the point anyway of him carrying it.

I guess I am the lone voice here thinking that they are doing the right thing. The teacher shold be theone carrying it, not the child.

Of course when he is older this will change, but for a 5yr old, i think this is the right plan of attack.

[magoo]

Also it's heat sensitive, it's not meant to be kept out in the sun, so how a child can avoid that if they are carrying it on their person I don't know.

How is it different for a child to have it in a fanny pack vs. the teacher having it in the fanny pack?

The benefit to having it on the child is that it is certain to be there. There would be no risk of the teacher forgetting to pass the meds off, or someone putting the bag down and then having to run and find it, etc.

The child who was in my program NEVER took his epi-pen out to play with it. He knew that it was medicine and not a toy. The only time I ever saw it was on the first day when he and his dad showed me how to use it.

[MrsPeacefrog]

Well in a perfect world, Sarah. That would be great. But children are not as caring as teachers are. Our school has a strict rule with this, and the teacher knows which children need attention, it is worn on their body so it can never be put down and forgotten about, and the procedure of handing medication back to the class teacher is done till the bag is empty, it can not be forgotten :dunno: Aiden knows his needle is medicine, but that doesn't stop him from being fascinated by it. He is also a carefree boy he loves to run around and play, tackle and roll around. If he had to wear a bumbag everywhere and be careful not to bust open his epipen would majorly hinder on his play. Not to mention the possiblities of OTHER children getting hold of it.

I will stand by the stance that I feel 100% safer knowing the teacher on duty has the epipen rather than my 5 year along with his other 5yr ol friends. :dunno: That is just me, and I live with anaphylaxis everyday with him.

ETA: Don't get me wrong, I see the benefits of a child carrying it with them, but the negatives outway teh benefits in my eyes. Just other children getting hold of it alone freaks me out, let alone anything else happening to it.

[Melissa]

I think a lot of having your child carry it depends on their age, maturity level, and personality. :dunno:

[magoo]

I think a lot of having your child carry it depends on their age, maturity level, and personality. :dunno:
I agree. There are some cases where a child would be better off with the teacher having it, but I think it's ridiculous to have a blanket policy that keeps them from having it on them. If they are mature enough and responsible enough to wear it on them, it certainly seems like the safest option.

[Melissa]

Sarah, I do agree! I would much rather have the teacher in room with the student have immediate access to the pen than needing to find the school nurse to administer it in any situation.

[Clare]

I see two different arguments here. The school in Brooke's example is saying that the nurse keeps the epipen locked up in the health room which in a life and death anaphalactic situation could result in the death of a child. There might not be enough time for someone to alert the teacher to alert the nurse to get the epipen to the child. Deb's argument is that the teacher who is with the child all the time has the pen. I see those as two different things. Deb, I think there will come a time when you have to teach Aiden to use the epipen himself and he will need to carry it with him at all times. If you are comfortable with waiting to do that and confident that your school is handling the situation for now, then that's fine.

And as Nichole said, I also think it is discrimination for a child to be excluded from a school because of an allergy! I would be pissed off if I was forced to homeschool because my child had an allergy!

[Kimberly]

I'm a teacher and in our district the only medications that are allowed to stay in the classroom are epi pens and inhalers. I have an epi pen myself for my severe allergy to insect stings and although I hope to not ever have to use it, it is imperative that it be within reach. I teach first grade, so I have 6 and 7 year olds in my room. I would not want them to hold on to their own epi pen in my classroom, but I guarantee you that the child, along with any other adults who work in my room, would know exactly where the epi pen was kept in case of an emergency. You can just never be too careful with allergies - it truly is a life or death matter for some people.

[MrsPeacefrog]

I agree that it depends on maturity level. But there is also the fact that the way we have been taught, that administering the epipen is a last resort, you do not give it just because the child eats a nut. They need to be in a serious way for the pen to be administered. Aiden is no where near the maturity level to make that decision.

I AGREE 100% that keeping it locked away in some nurses office would cost valuable time and possibly the childs life and that is serious craziness, but I think in that case there should be a new policy set up that the teacher who is on duty should have it like they do at Aiden's school.

I guess my point was that children are children. Peer pressure can result in Aiden taking out the pen and showing it to someone, they take it off him and open it up and use it. What is life saving for Aiden could cause problems for another child. I personally would not want a 5,6 or even 7 year old walking around the school with life saving medication in his pocket like for blood pressure or what ever and then mychild somehow getting hold of it and taking it and getting sick as a result. I see the epipen as the same thing. Although it is just adrenalin, I would hate for another child to get hold of it. :dunno:

[Kara]

They mentioned at kindergarten orientation that older students are now allowed to carry epi-pens and albuterol inhalors with them instead of keeping them with the nurse, however at the kindergarten age, the teachers keep them for now.

[debstar]

Life-threatening allergies can be a very emotional topic for parents having to live with the risk of anaphylaxis everyday.

I am the mother of 2 small children with potentially life-threatening food allergies. I am also a nurse. I think the key here is that policies cannot cover all situations and all children. I dread this time next year when I will begin meeting Abbey's kindergarten teachers & formulating her plan for kindergarten in 2009. And if I am not happy with the response I get at our local kindergarten I will be finding one that I am happy with.



As a parent I would absolutely be comfortable with Abbey carrying her epipen with her in some type of pouch. I wouldn't expect her to give it to herself at 5 but I would prefer it is with her at all times just in case. In saying that it depends on the school & the size. Here ‘kindergarten’ is for 4 year olds & usually consists of 1 or 2 rooms with a yard attached. I would imagine similar to pre-school in the US? In this situation having it in a safe place with easy access would be fine. School is another situation & I wouldn’t want to wait for the epipen to arrive from the nurses office or classroom where time & distance would be more of a concern. At 2 1/2 she already knows it goes with her everywhere, and that it is not to play with. Currently we carry them in an insulated pouch in her backpack, but the backpack goes with us wherever she goes. Neither of my children have had an anaphylactic reaction but have MAJOR positive skin testing for dairy, eggs & peanuts (Abbey) & dairy & peanuts (Gabe). However my dh has anaphylaxis to bananas (which I have witnessed after him having 1 sip of tropical juice) & his father to eggs. When Abbey was diagnosed with her allergies at 6 months we made the decision that it was too much of a risk for us to send her to childcare/crèche. Just our personal choice & decision. So for us sending her to kindergarten on her own is going to be a huge step, ultimately handing over her safety to someone else. Her dairy allergy is so severe that she comes out in welts & swells if she is touched by a finger with cheese or ice-cream on it. This has happened twice at the playground. That was scary enough. She is having repeat skin testing at 3 ½ & then we will formulate the plan for kindergarten & school.



As a nurse, I too would reject a system which placed epipens (& inhalers for that matter) in a locked cupboard in the nurses office. I actually spent 3 summers working in NY in a summer camp as a camp nurse. It was our policy that if a child required an epipen they must carry one with them at all times & a back-up epipen was kept in the infirmary. I must admit though that even as a health professional I was a little blasé about epipens until they personally started affecting my own family. I think schools are gradually becoming more educated about serious allergies, but there is still a long way to go!

[Kristen]

The epipen stays with the teacher at our Elem. school. I do think by the time they are Middle and High school that they should be able to carry them, but I doubt this is allowed. Like all controlled substances, I believe they are locked up (where...I do not know.)