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For this Nursing Teaching Project, the chosen theme is recognizing the symptoms of anaphylaxis, its treatment, as well as the precautionary measures that need to be taken to ensure that the best possible health care is administered to the patients. The setting of the project is a summer camp, with children and teachers and other staff being the key players.
Anaphylaxis is actually the human body’s allergic reaction primarily as a result of eating anything that has peanuts, fish, eggs, milk or sesame seeds . There has been a documented increase in the number of people suffering from anaphylactic reactions, both among adults as well as kids. Prior to understanding the possible medications and treatments that prove to be life saving in the case of an anaphylactic shock, it is important to understand the underlying biological processes taking place within the human body that trigger this condition.
Anaphylactic shock is the body’s response to the presence of certain substances, allergens, bacteria or virus that are perceived as potential threats that the immune system looks to fight off. The organs and systems that are the most commonly affected by this allergic reaction include the skin, the cardiovascular system, the gastrointestinal tracts as well as the upper and lower respiratory system .
Summer camps are designed to provide a recreational outlet for children’s energies, mostly utilizing an outdoor setting, away from the care of parents and in the company of other kids of similar age groups. The main reason that parents encourage their children to enroll in summer camps of their interest is to encourage independence and an understanding of the outdoors and nature. The constant presence or supervision of the parents or guardians is discouraged. This puts increased responsibility and pressure on the teachers and other staff members that organize and conduct a summer camp. This is because their primary responsibilities are not just restricted to ensuring that children are having fun and are able to learn new skills and have an enjoyable and memorable experience, but also, that their health and safety is not compromised during this entire experience .
Therefore, the teachers and staff of summer camps must be trained in educational and instructional strategies as well as have a basic knowledge and practice of being able to give immediate first aid to children. While certain states such as New Jersey have specified regulations when it comes to providing emergency medical care to children, in other states, the responsibility falls with any of the responsible and concerned care givers .
Ensuring the welfare of children that are a part of your summer camp starts off with obtaining an accurate and extremely detailed medical history from the parents of each child at the time of their admission. This should include a list of any and all medications or treatments that a child receives on an ongoing basis. The medical history questionnaire must also have a designated section concerning the known allergies that a child is vulnerable to .
For children who suffer from anaphylactic reactions, it is also imperative that details of the allergy as well as its intensity and frequency are obtained at lengths from parents. This information must focus on the exact method of administering Epi-Pen (adrenaline) as well as obtaining a signed release document from the parent or guardian that allows a responsible member of the summer camp staff to provide basic emergency child care in order to save a life .
Since Epi-Pen is typically administered using an auto injector, specialized training is mandatory for whoever is put in charge of using it. While in certain cases, typically involving children aged above 15 years, some summer camps and even schools allow the children to inject Epi-Pen themselves; this is not an ideally recommended approach. This is because as soon as an allergen to which a child may be sensitive to, is ingested, the body immediately goes into shock and in that physical state it may become impossible to self administer Epi-Pen .
Since there are only a few minutes during which Epi-Pen must be injected once anaphylactic shock has set in, teachers must be aware about the location of the medication that each child may require. It is encouraged that children with anaphylactic shock vulnerabilities carry their medication with them at all times. When teachers have prior knowledge about where the medication is stored, this saves precious seconds and stress in providing the emergency first aid. This will prove to be crucial because once anaphylaxis occurs, if an Epi-Pen is not used immediately, it can prove to be deadly .
This is why, it is important that when the initial documents are being signed, parents are also asked to supply at least two auto-injector kits; one of these must be on the person of the child (15 years or above) or with the Camp Lead, and the other one should be stocked at the Front Office or an easily accessible location, known to the concerned personnel . Furthermore, alert sheets with a recent photograph and medical details of at-risk children should be made publicly available on notice boards within the Faculty Rooms, Main Offices as well as play areas and class rooms.
Since an auto-injector-based Epi-Pen is the most commonly used form of injecting adrenaline to counteract the anaphylactic shock, staff training sessions should include awareness guidelines to minimize exposure of anaphylactic children. An important rule that requires strict implementation is the prohibition of sharing of lunches and snacks among children . This is because it is nearly impossible for each food/snack’s ingredient list to be reviewed by the staff and it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that they stock up safe food supplies for their children. The teachers should be held responsible for ensuring there are no food exchanges. Typically, the staff to children ratio is very low for the teachers to be able to provide personalized monitoring and attention; an important rule to follow is that children with special needs, must not at any cost, be neglected or left on their own for long.
Bibliography
Feierstein, L. (2015, July 2). Allergy and Asthma Safety at Summer Camp. Active Healthcare Inc. , pp. 3-6.
Janse, A. (2015). Asthma and Allergies at Summer Camp: Flashlight, Bug Spray, EpiPen, Check: Here Are Tips For Preparing Your Children for Summer Camp with Asthma and Allergies. New York: HealthCentral\.
