Video: New Survey Shows Three in Four School Nurses Have Students at Risk for Severe Allergic Reactions Who Do Not Bring Auto-Injectable Epinephrine...(a policy by the local school district wo...)

strengthen support for creating a stock auto-injectable epinephrine

program in their school(s)

-- 93% have students with prescribed auto-injectable epinephrine for whom

the school stores the medication

Larry S. Posner, MD, FAAAAI, assistant clinical professor at UC San Francisco said, "Being prepared in case of an emergency is critical in preventing the most serious effects, since accidental exposure to known food allergens are the rule rather than the exception and anaphylaxis may progress very quickly. We know that in fatal anaphylaxis, respiratory or cardiac arrest will usually occur within 10-20 minutes for bee stings and within 20-45 minutes for food reactions.(10) That gives very little time for an appropriate response."

Due to the quick onset of anaphylaxis, being prepared is vital to keeping children safe. "Creating a plan to prevent exposures and respond to severe allergic reactions in our schools requires informing classmates, teachers and other school staff about the student's allergy and teaching them to recognize the symptoms so they can assist if an emergency arises. It also means having auto-injectable epinephrine handy that is easy to use and can be quickly administered in a crisis situation," Ms. Garcia said.

About the NASN Survey

NASN's "Management of Asthma and Anaphylaxis in Schools Survey" was an anonymous online survey conducted between May 17 and July 11, 2008 among U.S. school nurses. 489 nurses completed the 80-question survey, which included multiple choice questions and free-form responses.

The survey was adapted from a survey conducted with the California School Nurse Organization (CSNO) and West Coast Allergy and Asthma Network (WestCAAN). Dr. Larry Posner and Nancy Spradling, executive director of the CSNO developed the CSNO/WestCAAN survey.

About NASN

The National Association of School Nurses is a non-profit sp
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