It’s been a month full of good news for our food allergy community. The internet is buzzing with details of the updated guidelines regarding the EpiPen® epinephrine auto-injector due to lacerations and injuries related to usage. As stories emerged of cuts and injury, I worried my kids would hesitate using their life-saving EpiPen®. I explained that a big nasty cut is worth it and nevertheless, still worried.
Now, this issue has been resolved! There are three critical pieces here for folks like us to pay attention to…
- Using theEpiPen® on small children, “when administering the epinephrine injection to young children, caregivers are advised to hold the child’s leg firmly in place and limit movement prior to and during injection,” Mylan®, the distributor of EpiPen®, now instructs.
- Only hold theEpiPen® in place for 3 seconds prior to removal.
- Share this information with caregivers, teachers, friends, family, etc. Spread the word.
- Bonus bullet point: Check out Missy’s great article, “How to Use an EpiPen® New Patient Instructions,” about this change and how Dr. Julie Brown helped play an important role in this change!
I visited the official EpiPen® website and this instructional video, which is my new favorite, has not been updated yet, but I’m confident we’ll it updated soon. Mylan® shared, “We will be educating the physician community about these changes in the coming months”. Therefore, don’t be shy about asking your physician if they have been made aware of these changes. Also, share with your schools too!
If you have any questions, “Mylan offers a library of training and support resources for patients and caregivers which are in the process of being updated to reflect the new labeling. In the meantime, please speak to your healthcare professional or call the Mylan Customer Service team at 800-395-3376 with any questions about the changes”.
Your voice is needed to help spread this critical information! Please share!
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
Thank you so much Caroline for this incredibly important news!
I keep reminding self…only three…only three. I’ve spent 16 years telling myself, only 10…only 10…
This is great news!! I intend to share….especially since it’s getting scarier and scarier out there with the PEANUT FLOUR recalls – everywhere!! We must remain diligent!!
Julie,
The peanut flour recalls are just making me crazy. My son heads off to college in August and he is avoiding processed foods with flour. I hope it ends soon!