Have you talked to your kids about peanut allergy (support, parents, girl)
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This is such a sad story. Some parents ignore this very real situation and others make fun of special efforts being made to protect children with allergies.
How have you talked to your kids about peanut and other allergies?
Very sad story. I hope they get to the bottom of the debate about whether or not there was Epi-Pen available for this child.
Quote:
But Hopkins Elementary had no such device (Epi-Pen) on hand for Johnson. "At the beginning of the school year, we sent information to parents outlining the different responsibilities for the family and the child, the principal, the teacher, the doctor and the nurse," he said. "First and foremost, is does begin at home. Working with their doctor, the family would outline a health care plan that deals with those severe allergies."
Pendleton told local reporters her daughter did have a plan, but said the school refused to take Johnson's EpiPen and failed to give her Benedryl -- an over-the-counter antihistamine also listed in her plan -- at the first sign of a reaction.
There have been many local deaths as a result of food allergies over the last few months, and the common element is the lack of Epi-Pen on hand.
I was thinking a lot about this. Should we-who don't need them- carry an Epi Pen just in case we are somewhere where it might be needed? Could the improper use do more harm than good? Such a small thing to carry- I would have my kids teacher have one or else the kid herself have one in her backpack but then again---it probably wouldn't be allowed in school. Such a sad story.
The problem is you can't have random strangers administering medication, regardless of how good their intentions are.
Even as described in your OP article, the school nurses do not have the authority to administer medications unless all the protocols have been followed. That is the law. The medication must be prescribed by a physician, authorized and supplied by the parent. It is very standard procedure.
My son has a severe food allergy. At the beginning of the school year we have to fill out a gazillion forms, and purchase about 6 Epi-Pens. One goes to the school nurse, he keeps one, I keep one, one stays at home, one goes to the Scout den leader, and one is for spare. At $180 each, that is a lot of money for something that we never use, and expires after a year. Many, many, many people do not keep even one Epi-Pen on hand due to the cost.
OMG I had no idea how expensive they are or that their shelf life is so short. And of course it is medicine and can't be administered without proper procedures. I was speaking from my heart and not my brain. And I doubt I would have the nerve to use one on a stranger.
It was such a waste of a precious young life when it could have been avoided.
This is very sad and my prayers go out to her family.
I don't understand why the school wouldn't take her Epipen? And why they didn't give her Benedryl as stated in her care plan at the school? Seems that the school officials dropped the ball on this one and may be getting sued.
But this is article certainly provides a strong argument for allowing schools to stock epi pens like bandaids.
This has been debated for a long time now. Most school nurses are not RN's. Many schools do not even have school nurses. Someone is going to have to make the decision to give the Epi-Pen, and if there is no nurse, then who? It would be a logistical (and sadly litigious) nightmare to have people working in school dispensing drugs without prescriptions.
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