About Allergies: Should You Ever Use an Expired EpiPen?

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Allergies Allergies Symptoms / Diagnosis Treatment Coping From Daniel More, MD, your Guide to Allergies In March 2013, a teenage college student with a severe nut allergy accidentally ate a cookie containing nuts. He then developed severe anaphylaxis, but his family did not use his Epi-Pen because the expiration date had already passed, and a 911 operator told them over the phone not to use it. While the teen finally did receive an Epi-Pen injection from a neighbor's device, it was too late: the student died later that evening at a local hospital. (It is important to realize that it is not clear if using the expired EpiPen would have changed the outcome in this tragic event.) Should You Ever Use an Expired EpiPen? In March 2013, a teenage college student with a severe nut allergy accidentally ate a cookie containing nuts. He then developed severe anaphylaxis, but his family did not use his Epi-Pen because the expiration date had already passed, and a 911 operator told them over the phone not to use it. While the teen finally did receive an Epi-Pen injection from a neighbor's device, it was too late: the student died later that evening at a local hospital. (It is important to realize that it is not clear if using the expired EpiPen would have changed the outcome in this tragic event.) Search Related Topics:  food allergies  anaphylaxis  epinephrine All About Peanut Allergy Peanut, scientific name Arachis hypogeal, is a legume that is a common cause of food allergies. Peanut allergy is known to potentially be very dangerous and even life-threatening, particularly in adolescents and young adults, as well as in people with asthma. Peanut allergy is the most common form of food allergy in school age children and adults. Milk and egg allergy are more common in infants and toddlers, but allergies to these foods are commonly outgrown by school age. Recent studies show that in North America and the United Kingdom, 1% of children have peanut allergy. Search Related Topics:  allergies  allergist  allergy testing More on Anaphylaxis There is no single definition of anaphylaxis that is agreed upon by most experts in the field of allergy. In general, anaphylaxis is a life-threatening reaction caused by the release of chemicals, such as histamine, leukotrienes and tryptase, from mast cells. This may result in a variety of symptoms, including low blood pressure (shock), trouble breathing, and skin symptoms such as hives and swelling. Search Related Topics:  allergies  allergist  allergy testing Related Searches Food Allergies Allergy or Allergies Allergies Symptoms Allergies Treatment Skin Rash Allergies Featured Articles Asthma and Lung Allergies Common Allergy Issues in Children Food Allergies Allergies in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Drug and Latex Allergies Insect Allergies   More from About.com 10 Easy Ways to Look Thinner Don't wait until you've lost those first pounds to make these simple, slimming changes. Read more...> Create a Shared Photo Stream Sharing your photo stream with friends and family is a great way to keep in touch. Read more...> This newsletter is written by: Daniel More, MD Allergies Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Allergies newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 © 2012 About.com   Must Reads What are Allergies? Symptoms of Allergies Diagnosis of Allergies Treatment of Allergies Preventing Allergies   Follow me on: Advertisement