This one is a little emotional

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for posting that link.

Thank you river.

What an awful story. The world's gone a bit misty on me right now. I waited for the same wailing sound last Christmas Day, and while Helen didn't need epinephrine, the paramedics who came had it and they rigged up a canula while they were still in our driveway, just in case she did.

I find it amazing (and sad and infuriating) that the first aid treatment for anaphyalxis (an EpiPen) isn't on board every ambulance in countries like ours.

Bye.

Geoff (Helen's hubby)

I had to come back to this link and read it again.

To me, it helped put into words a paradox of sorts. Are persons who are formally trained or educated in a particular discipline, held at a higher level of accountability, and therefore possibly having to be more cautious about one's actions related to that particular discipline? Admittedly, liability can be a driving force in our society.

I also noted comments that appeared to indicate that on a professional level, if a professional is given items to use, particularly items related to their field, is there is a strong indication of a responsibility, even a duty to be competent in managing what occurs after the use of such items? Especially if what occurs after its use is a consequence of it?

This was one of the cases that changed the laws in Washington State. And many more states have also changed their laws to allow EMTs to carry and administer epinephrine. Please check FAAN's website ([url]http://www.foodallergy.org[/url]) to see if your state allows this. If not, you can make a difference and get the laws changed in your state. By the way, Ida Ballasiotes who was mentioned in this article is my mother-in-law. She pushed this law through. It can be done.

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Mary Kay

comming back just to add this link (food for thought when requesting changes in the emergency system):

[url="http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos101.htm"]http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos101.htm[/url]

towards the center it describes different levels of pre-hospital care (First Responders through EMT-4)

It still amazes me that not all areas have advanced "state of the art" pre-hospital care and providers for one reason or another.

We live in very rural USA, thirty miles from the nearest hospital. All we have are EMTs, no paramedics at all. What our local EMTs have done for us, is, when dd needs the ambulance, there is, at all times, a civilain on board with her. So far it has been myself or dh. That way there is someone who can give an Epi or another Epi if needed.

raising for Jason