The American Academy of Pediatrics has a newly released Allergy and Anaphylaxis Emergency Plan form.

     I like most pediatricians am a member of a national organization of pediatricians called the American Academy of Pediatrics. They are the experts on many topics about infants and children. I was interested this week when they released an Allergy and Anaphylaxis Emergency Plan to assist families, caregivers, and school personnel in the event of an allergic reaction. Other action plans exist for this purpose. The FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan has been commonly used in Central Ohio by pediatricians.
     I like things about both forms. The AAP form is easy to read and follow the instructions. The FARE form has simple diagrams that make it easy to quickly read through the instructions that match the symptoms. Both talk about when to use antihistamines and epinephrine. Both talk about a plan for what to do after these are given. One difference is that the FARE form specifies something that is very important: it says that after giving epinephrine, "Transport patient to ER, even if symptoms resolve. Patient should remain in ER for at least 4 hours because symptoms may return." This is very important advice!
     The FARE form is here. The AAP form is available here. The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology has a similar (though simpler) form and it is here.
     Although I think both the AAP and FARE forms are very good, I suspect some schools may show a preference to one or the other. The important thing is to have a plan in place should an emergency occur with a food allergy reaction.