Ok. Seeing as this is kinda in my field of non camping expertise, as well as being an issue for me as my eldest is allergic to tree nuts (peanuts etc) I'll wade in here.
EpiPen (Or epinephine Pen - Epinephrine being the American term for Adrenaline), are great for known allergy sufferers, and whenever they are used should ALWAYS be follow by a trip to the local ED/A&E/Primary Care clinic/Vet (ok, maybe not Vet!
) because the side effects of Adrenaline administration include : Increased Heart Rate, Increased Blood Pressue, blurred vision, shaking, headache, nausea, and a bunch of other stuff. Most importantly, for those of us approaching Grey Nomad status, these things i just mentioned, can cause other complications as our medical history becomes more, shall we say......interesting. these include Heart Attack and stroke! No something you want to expereince on the Gibb River rd, many hours from anywhere!
In kids, it is unlikely that using an epipen will cause any issues: Kids are resiliant, and can cope with huge changes in their physiological state for short period with little effect. but it doesnt matter whether you are old or young, you can still POTENTIALLY give someone a stroke by given an Epipen if it wasnt neccessary.
Do I carry one? No I carry Adrenaline ampoules because I'm trained to use them and would give a weight specific dose (which is what i would do at work) and it means I have more than 1 dose available. would i recommend this practice to anyone who is not a Health Care Professional ? HELL NO! USe the EpiPen! they are safe and effective when used properly. though the advice to have more than one is sound if you are more than 30 minutes from Medical attention.
Paul and Bern: Epipen works for Anaphylaxis, which in laymans terms is severe allergic reaction. this reaction can be to many things, foods (such as nuts, shellfish etc but i've seen some wierd ones like Peas, Rosemary,Egg etc), stings and envemonations such as bees and wasps, ants and the like. even trees and plants can cause it in some people
another good thing to carry if travelling remotely is a potent Antihistamine such as Phenergan (available without prescription at a pharmacy, though they sometimes get a little pissy when you ask for it, explain why you need it and they are usually ok). Adrenaline has a body half life of around 1-2 minutes when given by epipen (Intramuscularly) but should not be given less than 5 minutes apart. An antihistamine taken orally can help, so can a Steroid such as rediPred. If you or a loved one suffer severe allergies and are travelling in areas more than 1 hour from medical attention, I'd disucss whether you should carry a steroid medicaion with your GP. they dont start working for 30 or more minutes, but that could just be the difference between being ok, and not being ok. Though sometimes the allergy can make you so nauseous that the last thing you want to do is swallow anything, the Adrenalin can cauuse these symptoms to pass long enough to take the tablets/liquid. If you have been bitten by an ant or stung by a bee, the "venom" doesn't get out of your system quickly, so a long term meidication is a good idea.
Dazzler: They may use small incremental IV adrenaline (much smaller doses than into your muscle by epipen) if your anaphylaxis was severe and they are having trouble maintaining your bloodpressure. Unfortunatley, the main 2 side effects of adrenaline anr increased Heart Rate (as evidenced by th erapidlt beeping machine) and Increaed Blood Pressure, which may have been the desired effect in your case but i wasnt there, but that would be the most likely reason to keep giving you adrenaline.
that being said, remember, the body naturally secretes Adrenaline during the fight or flight response to stressful situations, so all sorts of reactions are likely. shaking, headache, blurred vision (because pupils get very large), increased heart rate etc, AND a sense of impending doom. These are normal and scare the sh1t out of the person who gets the adrenaline Via epiPen. as if they aren't scared enough, the cure to their problem makes them more scared!! If you are about to give adrenaline, especially to a child, the most important thing you can do is 1: Atmept to stay calm yourself, it's contagious!, and 2. reassure them !!
Holycrapplo: exactly:Adrenaline is not a medication to be used lightly. It's not Panadol. The most common mistake people make with EpiPen is injecting themselves in the finger because they hold it the wrong way around! You need to be shown how to use it, and reading the instructions, while being worried about your friend or family membes is having a severe reaction is not the time you are likely to be thinking clearest. Seek advice from your GP or pharmacist.
Stay Safe out there!!!!
