Video: New Survey Shows Three in Four School Nurses Have Students at Risk for Severe Allergic Reactions Who Do Not Bring Auto-Injectable Epinephrine...( Parents of students with known aller...)

Parents of students with known allergies are urged to put auto-injectable

epinephrine at the top of the school supplies list

SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey conducted by the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) found that 72% of school nurses have students with a known history of allergies or prior use of epinephrine whose parents have not provided the school with auto-injectable epinephrine. Also known as adrenaline, epinephrine is the first-line standard of care for treating anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can be caused by nuts, insect bites or stings and other allergens.(1,2,3) Eight out of ten school nurses (82%) surveyed have also seen increased numbers of children at risk for anaphylaxis in the past few years.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/NASNbacktoschoolsurvey/34387/

"We cannot overlook the importance of preparation when sending students back to school," said Amy Garcia, RN, MSN, executive director of NASN. "It is crucial that parents of children at risk for severe allergic reactions provide the school with auto-injectable epinephrine."

As many as 45 million Americans have allergic sensitivities that put them at risk for anaphylaxis.(4) It takes only one to two minutes for a mild allergic reaction to escalate to anaphylaxis.(5) The faster the onset of an anaphylactic reaction, the greater the likelihood that it will be severe.(6) Most anaphylactic deaths have occurred when auto-injectable epinephrine was not used or not used in time.(7,8,9)

The online survey of 489 school nurses also found that:

-- 56% have witnessed anaphylaxis at school

-- 68% support or strongly support making stock auto-injectable

epinephrine universally available in schools

-- 72% said that establishing
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