Children at risk of severe allergic reactions to certain foods should always be equipped with two doses of emergency medicine, not just one, a new U.S. study has confirmed.
A shot of the medicine is administered by way of an “EpiPen,” a self-injectable needle containing epinephrine that can help subdue anaphylaxis, the most extreme and potentially deadly type of allergic reaction.
The condition can cause a wide range of symptoms including low blood pressure, nausea and difficulty breathing. In really bad cases, the airways can swell up completely and cut off breathing within a matter of minutes. Hence, the need to have an EpiPen at the ready.
But a study of emergency-room data from two Boston-area hospitals found that some children needed two shots of epinephrine to bring their symptoms under control. Over a six-year period, the ER departments saw about 600 children under 18 who were suffering from food-induced anaphylaxis. Of those kids, about 12 per cent required an extra dose because of a resurgence of symptoms following the initial shot.
Previous studies, which involved fewer patients, have suggested that one dose might not always be enough.
The new research, published this week in the journal Pediatrics, “adds weight” to the idea that at-risk kids should have two EpiPens on hand, said the study's lead author, Susan Rudders of Children's Hospital Boston.
She acknowledged that “carrying a bulky EpiPen is not something kids like to do and having to carry an extra one is even more burdensome.”
But she added that it is currently impossible to predict who may need a double shot. So, it's only prudent for kids to have access to two EpiPens.
“The recommendation is especially important for people who are not living five minutes away from an emergency department,” Dr. Rudders said.
