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A high school student from Freedom High School was assessed and treated for anaphylaxis by the school's nurse.  Virginia recently passed a law that allows schools to have emergency epinephrine on stock at the school, allowing schools to save the lives of children with known allergies as well as students suffering from an allergic reaction for the first time.

 

Read the story here: http://www.pwcs.edu/modules/ne...nt.phtml?aid=3088687

 

This is the second student to have been saved by Virginia's law that was passed after the tragic passing of first-grader Ammaria Johnson.

 

Other states are considering passing similar laws to help protect students from life-threatening allergic reactions.

 

 

 

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The law (and school epipens) actually applies only to kids who do not have known allergies or their own epipens.  I had a lengthy discussion with the Fairfax County School contact for this issue, and while schools now each have 2-10 "Anaphylaxis Response Team" staff memebers (who received in depth training on recognizing the symptoms of anaphylaxis and treatment with epipens, calling 911 etc.), the "health room aide" is part of the County Public Health department and not FCPS, so they are NOT the ones who were trained or designated to handle this.  The epipen forms for our school system specifically say the clinic aide cannot wait to look for symptoms, but must administer if suspected ingestion/contact (whatever allergy means you specify).  That's fine, just being cautious, but I want to be sure they also administer based on symptoms (what if it is a new allergy or unintentional and unknown contact/ingestion)?  The principal assured us that if our daughter was having symptoms they would respond to that with her own epi (we also have her self-carry).  Another parent said they tell their child to say, "I must have eaten peanuts!" (or whatever allergic food). Just ridiculous that the clinic aide is specifically NOT on the anaphylactic response team! 

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