Parents Often Afraid to Use EpiPen on Kids

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many parents of children with food allergies are reluctant to administer epinephrine using the EpiPen auto-injector when their kids have a severe allergic reaction, survey results show.

Previous research has identified an infrequent use of the EpiPen among children who experience recurrent episodes of allergic reactions (i.e., anaphylaxis), Dr. Jennifer S. Kim and her associates note in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

To explore the reasons behind such underuse, the researchers surveyed 165 parents of children with food allergy who were prescribed the EpiPen for home use.

Kim, from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and colleagues report that, even though most respondents had been trained in using the EpiPen and were able to recognize symptoms of anaphylaxis, 75 reported that they would feel uncomfortable in administering the EpiPen to their child.

The primary reasons cited for this discomfort were their inability to recognize the symptoms of anaphylaxis, fear of hurting their child, and belief that they would forget how to use the EpiPen in a high-pressure situation.

Feelings of competence and empowerment were more strongly associated with comfort level in using an EpiPen than knowledge of anaphylaxis symptoms and prior EpiPen use or history of anaphylaxis.

In the self-administered questionnaires, feelings of empowerment were assessed by responses to statements, such as "When problems arise with my child, I handle them pretty well" and "I can calmly handle a crisis situation involving my child."

"Being prepared to face (a life-threatening event) requires acceptance that anaphylaxis might occur and taking ownership of knowing how to administer treatment," the team writes. They recommend that health care providers take every opportunity to train parents in the proper use of the EpiPen.

SOURCE: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, July 2005.