I'm reaching out to follow up about an important Illinois issue that has just recently gained a lot of attention:  Epinephrine and the new laws in Illinois allowing for better usage in schools. Northwestern University just released a report claiming that during the 2012-2013 school year, 38 Chicago Public School students and staff were given emergency medication for potentially life threatening allergic reactions. This finding is detailed in the report here.

Medical practitioners across the state are urging more school officials to become trained administrators in order to prevent safety risks associated with allergies. As proven in this report, the need for training is definitely there and as food allergies continue to rise, the people dealing with children must be prepared.

Following national and local legislation, CPS was the first large, urban school district in the nation to develop and implement an initiative to supply all public and charter schools in Chicago with epinephrine auto-injectors ? medical devices used to treat acute allergic reactions.

The fear of anaphylaxis is something Lurie Children's Hospital Advanced Practice Nurse, Christine Szychlinski, knows very well. Szychlinski is the manager of the Food Allergy program within Lurie's Department of Allergy and Immunology, where she has practiced for 35 years. She also does a lot of outreach in the schools. If you're interested in speaking with Szychlinski about this important issue, please let me know and I would be happy to arrange a time for you to connect.

A new Illinois law is giving kids a shot at a healthy school year. It's an epinephrine shot, providing treatment for those at risk of anaphylactic emergencies. Illinois schools are required to have epinephrine available for emergency use and state legislators have taken this requirement a step further in providing timely care for those at risk.

Governor Quinn recently signed into law additional legislation to strengthen the existing epinephrine-in-schools law, now allowing not only school nurses but any trained school employee or volunteer to administer an epinephrine auto-injector to someone believed to be experiencing anaphylaxis from a severe allergic reaction.

Food allergies are on the rise. Currently an estimated one in 13 children in the U.S. is living with a food allergy. Kids with known food allergies avoid their allergens and typically carry epinephrine auto-injectors with them wherever they go in case of accidental exposure. According to national food allergy guidelines, epinephrine is the treatment that should be given first when a person is experiencing anaphylaxis.

Fast facts:

·        According to the CDC, the incidence of food allergy increased 18% from 1997-2007

·        Anaphylaxis is an unpredictable, life-threatening allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death

·        Everyone at risk for anaphylaxis should have an anaphylaxis action plan that include : (1) Avoiding known allergens; (2) Recognizing signs and symptoms; (3) Having immediate access to two epinephrine auto-injectors; and (4) Seeking immediate emergency medical care should anaphylaxis occur

Having access to epinephrine on school grounds is critical, because reports show that among children with peanut allergies who have experienced anaphylaxis at school, 25% had not previously been diagnosed with a food allergy.

The fear of anaphylaxis is something Lurie Children's Hospital Advanced Practice Nurse, Christine Szychlinski, knows very well. Szychlinski is the manager of the Food Allergy program within Lurie's Department of Allergy and Immunology, where she has practiced for 35 years. She also does a lot of outreach in the schools. This legislation is critical to her patients and their families which is why she is pleased that Illinois lawmakers have taken steps to provide additional access to epinephrine auto injectors in the school setting.

I hope you might have an interest in talking with Christine, and running a story that will prompt more schools to take advantage of this important legislation, and get more people aware of the signs of anaphylaxis.