EpiPens: What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know

Emergency epinephrine is THE treatment you need for anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a potentially severe life-threatening allergic reaction. Epinephrine reverses the reaction and can save a life. There are a few potential triggers: foods, medications, venomous flying insects. It’s important to understand why your child has been prescribed emergency epinephrine. Clarify any details you need from your child’s healthcare provider. There are no silly questions!

There are other medical conditions that can cause anaphylaxis, which we won’t get into here since we’re focusing on epinephrine, but if your child has been prescribed emergency epinephrine, let’s highlight a few important points. 

You need an emergency action plan. Typically, this is a written form that highlights potential symptoms that can develop after exposure to the allergen and when to administer the epinephrine. This is very helpful for schools, daycares, camps, a friend’s home for a sleepover – any place where other adults are taking care of your child. 

Use the trainer device to practice. This device doesn’t contain the medication or the needle. It’s helpful to practice with the device when we’re calm and not in the middle of an intense moment like an allergic reaction.

For many of the auto-injector devices, you should hold the device with a fist around it. Don’t put your thumb on either end. You don’t want to accidentally inject yourself. (There is another type of auto-injector, a voice-guided device that looks different and talks to you with step-by-step instructions.) Talk to your provider or local pharmacist if you don’t feel comfortable using the device that’s been prescribed for your child. They can show you how.

It’s ok to use the devices through clothes. Avoid areas that have seams and pockets.

The ideal temperature for storage is room temperature (68-77 degrees Fahrenheit). Emergency epinephrine auto injectors can malfunction and the medicine inside of the device can get degraded in extreme temperatures.  Don’t leave them in a hot car. Don’t put them in the freezer. It’s ok to leave them an insulated bag with a cooler pack for a few hours.

Each kit comes with two devices. Try to keep them together. The idea is that even though most anaphylaxis episodes respond to one dose of epinephrine, in rare cases, you may need a second dose after five minutes if the symptoms haven’t started to get better or gone away completely. The second device also serves a back up if the first one doesn’t work for some reason. 

Check the expiration date. For schools, daycares and camps especially, you’ll need to make sure the epinephrine is not expired. Talk to your allergist about how long you can keep the device for after the manufacturer’s expiration date is reached. 

And remember, if you unexpectedly find yourself helping to manage anaphylaxis: stay calm, lay the person down to get the blood back up to the heart and brain and then EPI FIRST, EPI FAST.