"Study Highlights Need For Epinephrine In Schools And Staff Trained To Administer It"
With school nurses often covering multiple buildings, nearly one in five students who experience severe allergic reactions are given potentially life-saving epinephrine injections from unlicensed staff or students. In a recent study, more than 1,200 school nurses completed an electronic survey about the use of epinephrine in schools as emergency treatment for anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction. Nearly one-quarter of participants reported epinephrine being administered in their school during the past year. In total, out of the 482 administrations of epinephrine reported, 16.2 percent were by unlicensed staff or students. "Despite the potential severity of food allergy reactions, there are many schools where the nurse may be onsite at all times,” said co-author of the abstract, Julie Wang, MD, associate professor of pediatrics, allergy and immunology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "Training other school workers may be beneficial," she said, "and it would extend the school nurses' ability to manage students with food allergies in schools."
- Julie Wang, MD, Associate Professor, Pediatrics, Allergy and Immunology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai