Breaking news coverage for Allergic Living from the 2016 AAAAI conference.
Each academic year, one in every six U.S. schools will have a student or staff member experience anaphylaxis, according to a nationwide survey that further supports the need for stock epinephrine auto-injectors in schools, and training for staff on when and how to use them.
The latest results from the EpiPen4SchoolsSurvey were presented at AAAAI’s annual meeting in March. Billed as the first nationwide survey to evaluate the prevalence of anaphylaxis and the use of epinephrine auto-injectors in U.S. schools, the survey’s initial findings were revealed in February 2015. This year, the data were expanded to include larger districts, looking at more than 6,500 elementary, middle and high schools during the 2013 to 2014 academic year.
The survey revealed that not only are anaphylactic events a relatively common occurrence in schools, but also that the risk extends beyond those with diagnosed allergies. A quarter of the individuals who experienced anaphylaxis in a school setting had no known allergies.
Ishani Nath 