Severe Allergies
&
Epi-Pen Administration
Health Services Department
Presentation Overview

Impact of food allergies on children

What is a food allergy?

Triggers that worsen food allergies

Mild signs & symptoms of allergies

Medical management of mild signs &
symptoms

“Anaphylaxis” (severe signs & symptoms of
an emergency; interventions)

Medical management of severe signs &
symptoms

Preventative measures
Why You Have This Training
 In accordance with Education Code (EC) Section
49414, legislation was enacted to develop minimum
standards of training for school personnel in the
administration of epinephrine auto-injectors.
 It is estimated that severe allergies affect nearly 40
million Americans in all age groups and put those
individuals at risk of death from anaphylaxis.
Impact of Food Allergies
• Four out of every 100 children have a food allergy.
• Food allergies are becoming more common AND
hospitalizations related to food allergies are also increasing.
• Children with food allergies are two to four times more likely
to have other related conditions such as asthma and other
allergies, compared with children without food allergies…AND
are more likely to experience anaphylactic reactions to foods
and be at higher risk of death.
What are Food Allergies?
A food allergy is an abnormal
response to a food triggered by the
body’s immune system.
 No food allergy symptoms occur
on the first time a person is
exposed to the food
 First exposure can be:
 By eating or ingesting a food
allergen
 Touching a food allergen
 Using or eating other products with
the food allergen
 No cure
Allergy Triggers
The eight major food
allergens identified are:
1. Milk
2. Eggs
3. Fish (e.g., bass, flounder,
cod)
4. Crustacean shellfish (e.g.,
crab, lobster, shrimp)
5. Tree nuts (e.g., almonds,
walnuts, pecans)
6. Peanuts
7. Wheat
8. Soybeans
Other Severe Allergy Triggers
 Common causes:
 Food
 Insect stings (bees, hornets, yellow jackets)
 Medication (e.g. antibiotics, aspirin, and non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs)
 Latex
 Uncommon causes:
 Food dependent exercise induced anaphylaxis (rare)
 Idiopathic anaphylaxis
Food Allergies vs. Food Intolerance
 Food allergies are different
from a food intolerance
 A food intolerance is the body’s
abnormal reaction to a food but
DOES NOT involve the
immune system
 A doctor can confirm the
presence or absence of a food
allergy and/or food intolerance
• Types of Food Intolerance:
- Lactose Intolerance
- Food additives
- Gluten Intolerance
- Food poisoning
- Histamine toxicity
• Signs & Symptoms:
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain or
cramping
- Diarrhea
- Nausea & vomiting
Mild Signs & Symptoms
Symptoms of food allergies typically appear from within a few minutes to two
hours after a person has eaten the food to which he or she is allergic.
Allergic reactions can include:
 Hives
 Flushed skin or rash
 Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth
 Itching (of any part of the body)
 Face, tongue, or lip swelling (or any body part)
 Vomiting and/or diarrhea
 Abdominal cramps
 Coughing or wheezing
 Dizziness and/or lightheadedness
 Swelling of the throat and vocal cords
 Difficulty breathing
 Loss of consciousness
Medication Management
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

An antihistamine

Relieves mild signs & symptoms like:
 Hives
 Flushed skin or rash
 Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth
 Face, tongue, or lip swelling
 Minor throat or airway irritation

Follow the directions labeled on the
package or bottle prior to giving the
medicine.

Can have side effects:
 Drowsiness
 Dry mouth, nose & throat
 Excitement (especially in children)
Severe Signs and Symptoms
A severe, life-threatening
allergic reaction is called
anaphylaxis.
This can lead to:
 Constricted airways in the
lungs
 Severe lowering of blood
pressure and shock
(“anaphylactic shock”)
 Suffocation by swelling of
the throat
Medication Management
What To Do in An Emergency
 Notice the signs & symptoms
 Take all reactions seriously
 Try to keep calm
 Initiate EPI-PEN medication
treatment as prescribed by the
doctor immediately
 CALL FOR AN AMBULANCE
THEN CALL THE PARENT(S)
1 in 4 will have a latent reaction
Epi-Pen Video
How to Prevent a Reaction
 Strict avoidance of food allergens
 Know mild & severe signs &
symptoms of allergic reactions
 Read food labels prior to
consumption
 If an individual is known to have
severe reactions to food allergens
then have an Epi-Pen prescribed by
a doctor on hand
 Know how and when to administer
an Epi-Pen
 Have an action plan
What You Need at School
 An Emergency Care Plan
 A Dietary Prescription completed by physician (for food
allergies only)
 A Medication Administration Authorization form
 An Epi-pen
 CPR training
Sample Emergency Care Plan
Sample Dietary Prescription
Medication Authorization Form
Resources
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636)
National Institute of Allergy & Infectious
Diseases
6610 Rockledge Drive, MSC 6612
Bethesda, MD 20892-6612
United States of America
TTY: (888) 232-6348
E: cdcinfo@cdc.gov
http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/
(800) 822-2762
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
11781 Lee Jackson Highway, Suite 160 Fairfax,
VA 22033–3309 800–929–4040
www.foodallergy.org
Food Allergy Initiative
1414 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1804 New
York, NY 10019–2514 212–207–1974
www.faiusa.org
Phone: 301-402-1663
Email: niaidnews@niaid.nih.gov
Fax: 301-402-0120
www.niaid.nih.gov
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
10903 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20993
Ph. 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)
http://www.fda.gov/
References

Branum, A. M., & Lukacs, S. L. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF, National Center for Health Statistics. (2008).
Food allergy among U.S. children: Trends in prevalence and hospitalizations. Retrieved from Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db10.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , (2012). Food allergies in schools. Retrieved from website:
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/foodallergies/

Mondello, W. (2009, Oct/Nov). Food-allergic children and their emotional wellbeing. Living Without,
Retrieved from http://www.livingwithout.com/issues/3_6/Emotional-State-Food-Allergic-Children-10221.html

National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine (2011).
Diphenhydramine. Retrieved from PubMed Health website:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000704/

National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (2010). Food allergy:
An overview. Retrieved from NIH Publication website:
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/Documents/foodallergy.pdf

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD. (2010). Food allergies: What you need to know.
Retrieved from website:
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/UCM220117.pdf

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Food allergies: Reducing the risks (video) [Web]. Retrieved
from http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm182842.htm
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