New device offers hope to food allergy sufferers
Learn key steps of what to do when an severe allergic reaction occurs
For years, people suffering from food allergies have used a device called an EpiPen. If a person with food allergies accidentally ingests something that causes an allergic reaction called Anaphylaxis, the pen is plunged into the outer thigh to keep the body from shutting down.
Now, a company has come up with Auvi-Q. It is a delivery system that injects the epinephrine, but it is houses in a device that is slightly smaller than an iPhone, and talks a person through how to give the injection.
Watch a demo of the device
"In situations where people are nervous and don't know what to do, as soon as you pull it the tab off, it will tell you what to do," Allergist Dr. Hey Jin Chong said.
Dr. Chong, whose 2-year-old daughter has a peanut allergy, is already prescribing the Auvi-Q to patients. She adds that one of the target groups for the new epinephrine delivery system is teenagers.
"One study by a group in New York showed that only 60 percent, from the ages of 13 to 21 told the survey that they carried their EpiPens at all times," Dr. Chong said.
Six-year-old Hannah Parker wears her EpiPen in a little pack on her waist. She is was diagnosed with dairy, peanut and tree nut allergies when she was 10 months old. Her mother, Kate Parker, said it is unlikely her daughter would inject herself at this age, if there were an allergic reaction. But she like the idea that, when her daughter is older, she can easily carry the Auvi-Q around, and she or someone else can have the machine talk them through the injection.
"I hope there is a future that includes a cure for food allergies. I also hope medicines like these keep Hannah and others safe until there is a cure," Parker said.
Important Information from the National Institute of Health & the National Library of Medicine:
Anaphylaxis is an emergency condition that needs professional medical attention right away. Call 911 immediately.
Check the person's airway, breathing, and circulation (the ABC's of Basic Life Support). A warning sign of dangerous throat swelling is a very hoarse or whispered voice, or coarse sounds when the person is breathing in air. If necessary, begin rescue breathing and CPR.
- Call 911.
- Calm and reassure the person.
- If the allergic reaction is from a bee sting, scrape the stinger off the skin with something firm (such as a fingernail or plastic credit card). Do not use tweezers -- squeezing the stinger will release more venom.
- If the person has emergency allergy medicine on hand, help the person take or inject the medication. Avoid oral medication if the person is having difficulty breathing.
- Take steps to prevent shock. Have the person lie flat, raise the person's feet about 12 inches, and cover him or her with a coat or blanket. Do NOT place the person in this position if a head, neck, back, or leg injury is suspected, or if it causes discomfort.
- Do NOT assume that any allergy shots the person has already received will provide complete protection.
- Do NOT place a pillow under the person's head if he or she is having trouble breathing. This can block the airways.
- Do NOT give the person anything by mouth if the person is having trouble breathing.
Paramedics or other health care providers may place a tube through the nose or mouth into the airways (endotracheal intubation) or perform emergency surgery to place a tube directly into the trachea (tracheostomy or cricothyrotomy).
The person may receive antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine, and corticosteroids, such as prednisone, to further reduce symptoms (after lifesaving measures and epinephrine are given).
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