teaching child to administer epipen ,what age did you teach child?

[brimfull]

ds just turned 8 and I haven't yet

I know I should probably be ashamed

we taught our allergic son how a epi pen works, from about age 4, with this siblings etc.

we didnt expect him to use it on himself, but be familier with how it works , how to use it and what to do.

we practice as a whole family, sometimes with cousins, (mother allergic to wasps) using out of date ones on oranges. we practice common senerios, such as in town with friends, on the beach, and go over body posisitions, calling for help, getting the meds to allergic person etc etc.

every one knows where we keep the epi pens and the spare allergy meds/pens , so that they can fetch them if required.

the more you practice the easier you are with using it for real,(which we have done)

thanks bridewolf

I have done the practising with an orange but he has nver used the pen himself just watched. I have a trainer pen but have lost the grey top to it , must reorder one.

god must step up his training

does your ds carry it himself in school?

my son is 14, so yes he does carry his own meds. but does forget to take it to school, he seems to think he is covered as the school nurse has a set of his meds.......which really makes me cross.

but thats teens for you.

DS isn't quite 4 yet and I hadn't considered teaching him how to use his epipen but I will bear it in mind now .

thanks for replies

can I just say in my defence he is fab at monitoring his dietgrin

You can get practice pens here. Alternatively, we got a free one from the allergy nurse who visited us for epipen training.

DS1 does not have an epipen (despite numerous allergies including tree nuts/peanuts), ds2 does have an epipen, but is too young to know how to use it (2.4 years). I'd probably try to teach him before he starts school, but only because he is anaphylactic for dairy so the chances of contact with dairy are quite high.

ds is 8 soon - we have not asked him to be able to use his medication, but are now askng him to be the one to be responsible for ensuring that he has his medication with him. He is looking for more and more independence and I've had to explain that if he wants to walk to school by himself that's fine by me but he has to be happy with the idea that he treats himself when he has an anaphylactic reaction. He backed down quiet quickly and is happy to be accompanied by boring adults for a bit longer! BUT he is now really aware of needing it with him, he is asked to take it to the next responsible adult in school (e.g. class teacher to playground supervisor) and I ask him what he's forgotten when we go out. I'm hoping it's a good half-way stage in his learning curve here.

That's a good idea - I hadn't thought of asking him to try out of date pens - it'll take some of the fear out of it for him.

blimey I hadn't thought of teaching about how to use the epi pen as young as 3, dd2 has just turned 2.

I know a boy in first year of secondary who just died from a reaction as he was out and had to get home for his dad to medicate. It was too late..

Have been into the school and asked if they require ds to actually have his pen with him at all times as stated in the newsletter.
She said they only had to be responsible for ensuring they had it when they went to the playing field /trip etc and by yr 6 he will have to be carrying it with him .

I think we will practice with some old pens sometime soon though -have bought some oranges .

he was out and ate something that caused a reaction. He went home where dad gave him the piriton then epipen then eventually cpr and none of it worked.

he was a truly lovely lad it gives shivers just to think about it. There but for the grace of God go us all with allergic children..

god how awful

How did your dc take the news-must be scary for our kids hearing these things.

mine are all little. They didnt know him, myself and dh both used to teach him and the family live in our village/town and go to the school where all our family go/will go.

Usually when you teach its the bratty ones that stick in your mind but he did for being so lovely, always happy and smiling.

when ds hears things like this he looks terrified-I have to tread carefully between making him realise hte danger without scaring the shit out of him