7yr old Omaha boy nearly dies from accidental peanut ingestion in classroom

[Carefulmom]

The safe snack list and safe snack box are both subject to error.  Mistakes can get made with either one of these.  But more importantly, I think they send the wrong message.  If the parent of the allergy child wants all class treat food approved by her, then giving the allergy child a safe snack box gives tacit permission to break the rule of the parent approving safe class treat food.

One time when dd was in preschool, no 504, a child traded dd`s safe cupcake brought by me for the birthday cupcake from the birthday child that was on this other kid`s plate.  It happened so fast that dd never noticed.  If I had not been standing there, she would have eaten it.  It would have been epi and the ER.  So in this case in Omaha with the 7 year old, they were all sitting there in the dark.  I can see how the child with the allergies would not notice that there had been a food switch, if that is what happened.

[Macabre]

Yes it is hard to know when to Epi sometimes. Which is why we follow this rule:  if two body systems, orvid known ingestion and one symptom is mouth/throat then Epi. And we've done it--a few times--even when we've had two body systems and no known ingestion.

It's a mathematical formula for us. Takes the guesswork out.

[aouda]

What I wish I knew ... How much time elapsed between throat tightening and CPR administration in the ER, and ICU-entry (i.e. any administration of drugs) -- the bolded sentences?  Is CPR supposed to help if one's throat is closed??

After 30 minutes in the emergency room, the child broke out in hives and his throat was tightening.

"It happened so fast. It was a nightmare," said Amy.

"I saw him in the ER. When I first walked in, his lungs had failed and they were beginning CPR," said Dr. Rob Chaplin, a critical care specialist at Children's.
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Doctors rushed Max to intensive care where they continued CPR and administered a host of drugs to help Max breathe. His heart rate dropped extremely low.

[paparenttoo]

The Mom wrote a comment on the article...they just administered Benadryl in the office and then called the Mom, who then picked up her son and took him to the ER.  Wow!... so many things went wrong here...it was a known ingestion, office should have EpiPened and then called 911.

[lakeswimr]

No epi at ER,either!  Sounds like doc gave plan to only epi if breathing trouble.  Waiting until then can be too late.  This case chills me because the symptoms, although systemic, sound mild and I have failed to give the epi (against our plan) in various times when DS had similar mild symptoms.  We were very lucky those times.  I have driven to the ER when I should have epid and called 911.  And the more times I did it and he was fine the more silly I felt giving the epi and calling 911, you know?  This shows that it isn't the least bit silly.  Systemic = epi and 911 and 4+ hour ER stay.  I am drilling that into my head.  I should print this news story and keep it with our emergency plan to remind me to be strong and follow the plan in the future if DS has another reaction.  It is so easy to blow of more mild symptoms.  Mild stomach ache and itchy mouth don't sound too bad but look at this story.  So glad the child is OK! 

[CMdeux]

Ditto.   
 

We have been so lucky.  Three times, we've been that lucky.  Three separate occasions where initially so mild symptoms (grade I, which are often hard to determine as even being allergy) went untreated... while they suddenly escalated into horrifyingly life-threatening (grade III-V) without warning-- and in just a matter of seconds.

Even grade IV anaphylaxis mostly self-resolves.  MOSTLY.  But sometimes it doesn't, and that sometimes is the event where only epinephrine can save the person (probably, anyway, and if administered in time).


Yes, I feel exceptionally fortunate to have my daughter still alive and well after some of the very foolish decisions we've made over the years.  VERY much dumb luck on our part.

[my3guys]

No epi at ER,either!  Sounds like doc gave plan to only epi if breathing trouble.  Waiting until then can be too late.  This case chills me because the symptoms, although systemic, sound mild and I have failed to give the epi (against our plan) in various times when DS had similar mild symptoms.  We were very lucky those times.  I have driven to the ER when I should have epid and called 911.  And the more times I did it and he was fine the more silly I felt giving the epi and calling 911, you know?  This shows that it isn't the least bit silly.  Systemic = epi and 911 and 4+ hour ER stay.  I am drilling that into my head.  I should print this news story and keep it with our emergency plan to remind me to be strong and follow the plan in the future if DS has another reaction.  It is so easy to blow of more mild symptoms.  Mild stomach ache and itchy mouth don't sound too bad but look at this story.  So glad the child is OK!

I could've written this exact post.  I'm very shaken up by this story, and remembering when we didn't epi once for "mild symptoms" with known peanut ingestion. Nine years in, I feel more relaxed about the whole allergy world, and I think I've become more complacent.  Sufficiently shaken out complacency now, printing this out for DH, and reviewing food rules with kids again!

[becca]

You know, of all people, I have sent in unsafe snacks with ds this year.  We missed the first week of school.  We were stuck in California due to the hurricane.  I imagine this is when the usual allergy note was sent home.  Ds has no allergies and I sometimes give him protein bars for a snack, since he is a light eater.  They all have peanut flour or at least warnings, but usually peanut flour.  I do not give him onbviously nutty ones.

So, lunch tables switched after a couple of months and *then* I got a note to not send any nutty things in lunch, since he will be seated at the nut free table for awhile.  This is how they do it, assigned seating, and they rotate.  I was floored because I had no idea there was a food or peanut allergy in the class.  I am careful  about these things due to dd. 

So, if a PA parent who is attentive can mess this up, I am sure others do it all the time.  And really, the school just missed me when handing out information.  In a second grade classroom, this could have easily happened, switching the food somehow.  Ugh. 

So scary. 

becca