Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death. Common triggers include foods, medications, insect stings, latex, and exercise. Symptoms include skin rashes, swelling of the mouth/throat, difficulty breathing, and a drop in blood pressure. Epinephrine administered via an EpiPen is the recommended treatment as it constricts blood vessels, opens airways, and increases blood pressure and heart rate. An EpiPen is a single-use auto-injector pre-filled with epinephrine. It should be injected into the thigh immediately if someone is experiencing anaphylaxis. After use, emergency services should still be called and the used Epi

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Anaphylaxis & The Epi-PEN

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Objectives • Understand anaphylaxis
• Understand how you can
help
• Learn what to do with an
EpiPEN
• Learn what NOT to do

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Anaphylaxis • What is it?
• Causes?
• Treatment?

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Anaphylaxis • What is it?

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Anaphylaxis
• Causes?
o Food
o Medications
o Insect Venom
o Latex
o Exercise

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Anaphylaxis
• Symptoms?
o Generalized flushing of the skin
o Nettle Rash
o Sense of impending doom
o Swelling of the mouth and throat (angioedema)
o Difficulty swallowing or speaking
o Alterations in heart rate
o Asthma
o Abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting
o Sudden feeling of weakness
o Collapse and unconsciousness
• Allergens responsible for
most anaphylaxis?
o Peanut
o Tree nuts
o Milk and dairy products
o Egg
o Sesame
o Fish
o Shellfish
o Natural latex rubber
o Wasp and bee venom
o Penicillin

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Anaphylaxis
• Anaphylaxis Protocol
• Treatment
o Epinephrine
• Epinephrine is a hormone produced in the body by
the adrenal glands. It is released at times of acute
stress to enhance our capability of "fight or
flight". It increases heart rate, diverts blood to
the muscles, constricts blood vessels and opens
the airways. When you administer a dose of
epinephrine, you are giving the body something
that it is making already. You are just giving it
faster and at a higher dose.

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Epinephrine
• What is it?
o A.k.a adrenaline
o Hormone released in
response to stress
o Increases…
• Mental alertness
• Efficiency of muscle
contraction
• Blood sugar level

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Epinephrine
• How does it work?
o Reduces throat swelling
o Opens airways
o Maintains blood
pressure

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EpiPen • What is it?
• When to use it?

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EpiPen: What
is it?
• Automatic injection
device
• Disposable
• Pre-filled with 1
dose of epinephrine

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EpiPen: When
to use it?
• You are a hypersensitive
person
• You have a prescription
• You have an anaphylactic
emergency

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EpiPen • Indications…
o Exposure
o Prescription
o Anaphylaxis

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EpiPen • How a patient should
use it
• Common mistakes

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CALL FOR HELP!!!
• Remove the device
from the plastic
container
EpiPen

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• Remove the grey cap
• Arms the unit ready
for use
EpiPen

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• Clench Epipen in fist
• Press BLACK TIP against
the thigh
• Wait for a loud click
• Count to 10 Mississippi
EpiPen

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• Remove pen from
thigh
• Massage injection area
• Apply pressure
• Record time
CALL FOR HELP!!!
EpiPen

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EpiPen • Immediately After Use…
o Make sure paramedics are still
coming
• Give them used EpiPen
Or…
o Take victim to Emergency
• Give M.D. used EpiPen

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EpiPen :
Mistake #1
• Holding the wrong end
and injecting the
thumb is a bad idea!
• Remember the BLACK
end contains the
needle

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EpiPen: Mistake #1

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EpiPen:
Mistake #2
• Remove the grey cap
• If not, EpiPen will not
work no matter how
hard you try

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EpiPen:
Mistake #3
• There is no button at
the white end
• Unless you exert
pressure the EpiPen
will not work!

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True or False • It is ok to use an EpiPen
through clothing
TRUE

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• It is ok to remove the
gray activation cap as
long as you put it back
on
FALSE: DO NOT REMOVE
UNTIL READY TO USE
True or False

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Questions?

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THANK YOU