PSA and L has an epipen.

artygirl · October 2010

Here's the PSA part:

If your child is having what you think is an allergic reaction, call 911 for an ambulance. Even if you can get LO to the ER faster than the ambulance, the ambulance has an Epipen on hand. This might be common knowledge, but it escaped me yesterday.

Here's the backstory:

We were at a friend's house (where we've never been before) who has dogs. We went there to carve pumpkins. We got there around 12:45 and probably ate around 1:15. He had a bite of peanut butter sandwich (which he has had several times before) and mostly focused on eating avocado, cucumber, banana, and apple. While we were eating lunch, Lucas was rubbing his nose A LOT and wasn't eating much. He was chewing and then spitting it out, which I attributed to the fact that he was eating in front of three other little boys and was 'showing off'.

About an hour later, we are carving the pumpkins and one of the dogs licks Lucas's face. Next thing we know, he's snotting like crazy, coughing a little, and his face is looking a little flushed. So I take him outside and his breathing sounds a little labored. I called the pediatrician to see how much Benedryl I should give him and they say that if he is having an allergic reaction that I should go to the ER.

So in my mind I think that I can get him to the ER faster than the ambulance (never think that they can actually work on him in the amubulance) so one friend hops in the car with me leaving her son with the other Mom and her two kids. I'm half thinking that I'm overreacting and half worried-as-$hit.

When they take off the shirt at the ER, he is covered in hives.

So, they did the whole drill...epipen, IV with steroid and benedryl, abuterol treatment. Five hours later, we were released.

We're not sure if it is a peanut allergy or the dog. The ER docs say the symptoms were more in line with peanut, but judging from the way the symptoms progressed, my gut says dog. I'm getting him allergy tested as soon as I get an appointment and for now, I'm keeping him away from peanuts and dogs.

LisaMarisa · October 2010

Poor guy! I'm glad he's ok! I've often thought that if something happened, I could get him to the ER sooner than an ambulance but you make a good point. Thanks for the PSA.

mrsolsenk12 · October 2010

How scary. I would definetly get him tested and keep him away from both until you have more answers. Glad he is ok.

laura&dan05 · October 2010

I'm so glad L is ok! That must have been so scary! We have an epipen and I'll alway have one around. My uncle died from an allergic reaction to multiple bee stings. The ems truck in the city he lived in (a very well to do town) did NOT carry epipens at the time. I'm not sure if they do now bit it could have saved his life.

pandabearlover · October 2010

How scary! I have thought about what I would do if I had an emergency when I was home alone with 2 kids. I think an ambulance would be the safest for all of us.

MonkeysGirl05 · October 2010

Aww... How scary. I'm glad he is ok now.

cjsbdl · October 2010

So scary! I'm glad he's ok.

I have this discussion with DH all the time. My MIL recently had a carseat installed in her car for Henry and one of the reasons she gave my husbnd and me was "in case something happened and he needed to go to the hospital" when he's staying with her. So I had to have a talk and remind her that if something serious happens to Henry while he's in her care she is to CALL 911. No trying to drive him herself. Period.

klaus · October 2010

Just an FYI - not ALL ambulances have epi pen's. so, in some cases, waiting for an epi pen might be the wrong decision.

In my town, they don't carry them (aren't licensed or certified or whatever to do so).

Spockles · October 2010

This just happend to DS over the weekend. We didn't go to the ER, but I called the triage nurse and she had the on-call DR call me because his reaction happend right away after eating. Gave benadryl and the hives started to go away. DR on call said we didn't have to go to ER, but we had to follow up in the clinic this week. DS had one allergy test in the office for peanut butter because that was the most logical culprit and we are supposed to go to a hospital lab to have more things drawn. Got the results back this afternoon that the peanut allergy came back as a mild-moderate allergy but we're still going to have the other tests checked as well.

Scary experience. Glad both of our DS's are ok!

Magoy · October 2010

Scary! DD had the same reaction (hives all over) from eggs. In her case, she'd been exposed before and had vomiting type reactions. The last time she just had a trace amount baked in a blueberry muffin and the hives were all over. Looked like hundreds of little mosquito bites. We had her allergy tested and she has a whole host of allergies; eggs, soy, peanuts, WCM, wheat, corn, orange, etc. A lot of that she can actually tolerate without a reaction, but we have to be so so careful.

We carry an epi pen every where we go.

artygirl · October 2010

That interesting to know that not all ambulances carry epipens. I felt like the doctors were chastising me ever so slightly when they informed me that when I don't have an epipen handy, the quickest way to get one is to call an ambulance. I have been kind of beating myself up for how I reacted to this situation.

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