New Pediatric Guidelines Issued for Epi Use...

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New Pediatric Guidelines Issued For Epinephrine Use In Possibly Fatal Allergy Attacks

March 29, 2007 9:55 a.m. EST

Patricia Shehan - All Headline News Staff Writer
(AHN) - The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued new guidelines for the pediatric care of administering epinephrine to children who may suffer from potentially fatal allergic reactions.

"Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially fatal systemic allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death," reports Scott H. Sicherer, MD, and colleagues from the Allergy and Immunology Section of the AAP.

An anaphylaxis attack can be triggered by foods or other allergens. However, insect bites are the most frequently reported cause of this type of reaction that usually requires emergency care.

"Epinephrine is the primary medical therapy, and it must be administered promptly... Prompt injection of epinephrine is nearly always effective in the treatment of anaphylaxis, and delayed injection of epinephrine is associated with poor outcomes including fatality," adds Sicherer and colleagues.

Epinephrine is a hormonal medicine used to treat the symptoms of an anaphylactic attack and to stop the progression of a potentially fatal attack, commonly known as anaphylactic shock.

For example, some people who are allergic to bee stings may have an anaphylactic reaction that almost always requires emergent medical attention.

The guidelines revise the instructions for the appropriate epinephrine dosage, when to administer the medicine, and when to administer it with an autoinjector or self-administered injectable device.

The AAP authors of the guidelines advise physicians to "carefully instruct [their] patients and families" regarding when to use epinephrine, the technique, and other important details.

Recommended guidelines of epinephrine for administration now include "possibly even in the absence of symptoms if there was a known exposure to an allergen that previously caused anaphylaxis with cardiovascular collapse."

Prevention and preparedness are the best plans of action in these cases. Whenever an event does occur, 911 should also be urgently contacted, even after initial administration of epinephrine in these cases. Sometimes a second dose is necessary and children should be immediately transported to the nearest hospital emergency room.

Parents should always notify all caretakers of their child of the potential problem and provide the caretakers with the appropriate information and preparedness.