Hello Bobby, how are you?
Good thank you.
Have you had any further reactions since the last time I saw you?
No, none.
That’s very good. Do remember to avoid what you are allergic to
that’s your best prevention of not having anaphylaxis.
Ok we brought you in here to review your anaphylaxis kit.
So you should have two EpiPens and antihistamines in the kit
and your asthma inhaler if you’re an asthmatic as well.
Yeah I’ve got it here in my bag.
It’s quite big so I have to take it everywhere I go.
It is quite big but it is very important that you take it everywhere you go
you never know when you’re going to have an anaphylaxis.
If you start to have a lump coming up in the back of your throat,
if you start to feel dizzy and your breathing gets very noisy
which is called wheezing like asthmatics get,
then you need to use your EpiPen.
Yeah, I remember starting to feel faint.
I got this funny feeling that something terrible was going to happen to me.
That is called the feeling of doom and it’s very common in anaphylaxis
then you really must use your EpiPen.
If you feel like you need to use your EpiPen, take into your dominant hand
Blue to the sky orange to the thigh.
Take the blue cap off, you can go through all the clothing, it doesn’t matter.
In a swinging motion into your thigh like so (clicking sound)
wait until you hear the click and then count to ten elephants by counting
one elephant, two elephant, three elephant, four elephant.
Especially when you have the feeling of doom, people tend to count
(rapidly) one, two three four, five six, seven, eight, nine, ten
so it’s important to put the elephants in between.
Take it out after the ten elephants; rub the area for ten seconds.
You don’t need to worry about the needle; a shield will come up and guard the needle.
If you used an EpiPen you must go to the A&E department.
If you are by yourself you give the EpiPen first and then call an ambulance.
If somebody else is with you they call an ambulance while you are giving the EpiPen.
You must say the word anaphylaxis or severe allergic reaction
that will trigger a faster response.
If you have got anaphylaxis the safest place to be is on the floor.
If you can tolerate it lie flat on the floor and have your legs elevated on the wall.
That will help you with the dizziness and will make you feel better.
If you can’t tolerate it with the asthma
sit up and have your legs on a table or chair.
Your legs need to be higher than your heart for this to work.
If you need to get up: don’t.
It’s quite likely that if you get up too quickly that your blood pressure will drop
and you will faint and hurt yourself even more.
If you really have to get up - do it extremely slowly, sit up for a while.
If you have the feeling you are getting dizzy again lie back down again
and have your legs elevated.
What if my symptoms don’t get any better?
If your symptoms don’t get any better after five to ten minutes
and the ambulance hasn’t arrived, you take your second EpiPen.
Again, take the blue cap off, upper outer part of your thigh
until you hear the click
(click sound)
and then count to ten.
Take it out, rub the area for ten seconds.
And does that need to be in the same leg as before?
No it can be done in the other leg it doesn’t matter.
When do I take my antihistamine tablets?
You can take your antihistamine tablets before or after the EpiPen.
So for example if you have a lump coming up in the back of your throat
and you can’t swallow your own saliva anymore, you probably can’t swallow a tablet.
So then take your EpiPen first, and if the symptoms have calmed down,
then take your antihistamine.
However if you’re just developing an itch and you’re not sure if it is anaphylaxis,
take the antihistamines first and then after five to ten minutes you have the feeling:
“actually my throat is tightening and I’m becoming to get wheezy”
then take your EpiPen as well.
This is a lot of information; do you have any more questions?
No.
When you use an EpiPen, give them to the ambulance drivers;
they will dispose of them safely.
They are single use only, so you can’t reuse them again.
When you leave the A&E department they will either
give your new EpiPens or a prescription for an EpiPen.
Make sure you get the new EpiPens as soon as possible.
Once a month I would like you take your EpiPen out.
Look at the expiry date.
If they expire within that month go to your GP and get a new EpiPen.
Sometimes the adrenaline turns brown, for example under the influence of sunlight.
If it has turned brown get a new one from your GP as well
and just recall how to use an EpiPen
so if you are in an emergency situation, you know exactly what to do.
Here’s the anaphylaxis emergency kit leaflet
just to remind you of everything we discussed.
You can also go for more information to the King’s web page
as well as the EpiPen.co.uk webpage.
Any more questions?
No, thank you.
I wish you all the best and I’ll see you back in a year’s time.
Thank you very much
Thank you, take care.