All staff involved in the care of students at risk of anaphylaxis should know:
Action Plans for Anaphylaxis and Individual Anaphylaxis Management Plans should be reviewed each year.
Training of relevant staff in anaphylaxis emergency management including administration of EpiPens should be organised each year. Appropriate training should be accessed through a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
Copies of plans should be displayed in various and key locations about the school.
Communication procedures should be in place to inform relief staff of students at risk of anaphylaxis and the steps required for prevention and emergency response.
A staff member should be designated responsibility for briefing new and relief staff.
Children diagnosed as being at risk of anaphylaxis are prescribed adrenaline in an auto-injector which is commonly known as an EpiPen. Adrenaline given through an EpiPen to the outer thigh muscle is the most effective treatment for anaphylaxis, as when injected it rapidly reverses the effects of a severe allergic reaction. It is a single use pre-loaded automatic injection and is designed to be used as a first aid device by people without formal medical training. A version containing half the standard dose of adrenaline (EpiPen Jnr) is available for small children (under 20 Kg).
Anaphylaxis training programs are provided in Tasmania by a number of Registered Training Organisations. They are designed to equip people with the knowledge and skills to recognise and manage an anaphylactic reaction, including the use of EpiPen and the skills of performing Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
If a child has been prescribed an EpiPen it is necessary that training in its use is a part of professional learning provided each year by a Registered Training Organisation, as a part of development of the Individual Anaphylaxis Management Plan.
If a student has been prescribed an EpiPen, the EpiPen must be provided by the student?s parent/carers to the school.
EpiPens should be stored correctly and accessed quickly.
EpiPens should not be cloudy or out of date. They should last at least 12 months from time of purchase from a pharmacy and have an expiry date printed on them. It is the parents/carers’ responsibility to supply the child’s EpiPen to the school and to replace it before it expires. It is recommended that a designated staff member, such as the first aid officer, should regularly check the EpiPen at the beginning or end of each term. At least a month before its expiry date, the designated staff member should send a written reminder to the parents/carers to replace the EpiPen. Adopting the practice of returning the EpiPen to the family at the end of each term is suggested. Return or replacement of the EpiPen should take place when the student recommences school in the new term.
Administration of EpiPen is quite safe: if a person is suspected of having a severe allergic reaction, it may be more harmful not to give it than to use it when it may not have been needed.
"If in doubt, give the EpiPen": from the ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis
For additional information about the use of EpiPens refer to the NSW Department of Education and Training Anaphylaxis Guidelines for Schools, or the Victorian Department of Education and Training Anaphylaxis Guidelines.
Advice from ASCIA is that risk management with regard to particular foods (peanuts and tree nuts) is recommended, however the implementation of blanket food bans or attempts to prohibit the entry of food substances into schools are not recommended.
The following issues have been highlighted in not recommending blanket food bans:
For schools where there are children with severe allergies to nuts (peanuts and tree nuts) a risk minimisation policy for school canteens should be implemented. This involves removal of items with the relevant nut as an ingredient, but does not apply to those foods labelled "may contain traces of nuts".
Risk minimisation in schools may also include asking parents not to send peanuts or peanut butter on sandwiches if a class member in the early childhood years has peanut allergy. This is due to the higher risk of person to person contact in younger children.
Primary schools which have younger children enrolled who are at risk of anaphylaxis may consider requesting that parents/carers refrain from sending nuts in school lunches. Such a practice is not considered appropriate within high schools. This is an example of a practice that can be put in place to assist younger children. It is expected that by the end of the early childhood years allergies to food such as egg will have resolved and children will have achieved greater independence in managing their condition and will require less external support.
On school camps, where there are children with severe nut allergy, it should be requested that foods containing nuts are not taken or supplied, consistent with the nut minimisation policy in the school canteen.
School management practices should include:
Training of relevant staff each year should take place if any student in the school is known to be at risk of anaphylaxis and should be incorporated into development of Individual Anaphylaxis Management Plans. If more than one student in the school is known to be at risk of anaphylaxis, professional learning/ training should be organised with this in mind.
Anaphylaxis Guidelines
Downloadable forms
This page has been produced by the Department of Education
Questions concerning its content may be directed by email to ServiceCentre@education.tas.gov.au or telephone 1800 816 057.
This page was last modified on 29th May 2009. The URL for this page is: http://www.education.tas.gov.au/school/health/disabilities/disabilitiesinfo/anaphylaxis/management/requirements-for-schools-having-an-enrolled-student-with-anaphylaxis.
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