What a Food Allergy can Look Like

[scrub-jay]

Very interesting news on the allergy-front:

http://firstwatch.jwatch.org/cgi/con...ull/2012/814/5

https://www.auvi-q.com/

I see this being really useful in schools or situations where individuals may panic in the event of an emergency. This is similar (in my mind) to the way that consumer automatic defibrillators work.

[Deebs]

There is a push in some realms of the allergy world to actually have Epi pens available with an AED in certain places (such as schools). I wonder if this is one step closer to that. It makes sense. My four year old knows how to use an Epi pen without being talked through it (although also not in the face of an actual emergency either).

[scrub-jay]

I've read that it is far more likely that public places (malls, airports, etc) will have an AED than an EpiPen. Way more funding and lobbying for heart conditions is my personal guess as to why.

[Deebs]

I don't know if it's funding as much as prescription drug laws. An Epi pen is prescription only and for the intended patient. We'd have to move it into a public health realm. Plus, an AED won't fire on a "normal" rhythm. An Epi pen on the wrong person is dangerous, so there'd have to be a component where the pen could do some diagnostics. I do think in a more controlled environment of a school with teachers/nurses/administrators who had been educated and could have a good idea about who in their school might need the pen, it is a really intriguing idea.

Plus, while AEDs need to be serviced and maintained, they don't have the same expiration issues that an Epi pen has.