RE: [Philmont]: Peanuts, EpiPens, and Anaphylaxis

I've been wanting to reply to this all week, but couldn't get 15 minutes
of spare time. This is a very important subject for advisors including
the subject of inhalers. I'll just throw in some additional
points/thoughts:
 1)Epipens and inhalers are prescription drugs. You cannot just "bring a
few extras". Every state has different laws on these meds. Be familiar
with your local laws and protocols.
2) No one who lacks training should be administering medications unless
the other option is the death of the patient. You NEED to know what you
are giving, why, and what the effects will be on that particular
patient, as well as the side effects to be expected.
3) Fortunately, this training is not that complicated when you are
working with specific drugs. In my state of New York, you can be
certified to administer epi and albuterol with some simple classes. You
still cannot buy these meds, BUT in the case of Epi, your council can
buy and stock the pens at camp by filling out and filing a single page
form with the State Dept. of health. As Scout leaders, your best bet is
to work with the family closely to make sure prescriptions are current
and you have adequate quantities. From both a legal AND medical
standpoint, it is ALWAYS best to administer a drug that has been
prescribed for that particular patient. Use THEIR stuff and your
liability decreases while their safety increases.
 4) If you can't take a good training course like Wilderness first aid,
then get a good book and STUDY (don't just read) it. A great one is
"Wilderness First Aid" put out by the National Safety Council and the
Wilderness Medical Society. It's also a fantastic Scoutmaster's training
reference. I got my copy on eBay for $3.95, but new it is around $20.00.
 5) Any decent Wilderness First aid course should have epi trainers
available. You need to get familiar with this stuff, how it works and
how to administer it effectively. Being familiar will make you more
relaxed and able to focus on the proper treatment. You need to
understand what the symptoms are, and at what point the meds should be
administered. This is very important. I have an Epi-Scout in my unit,
and I do the "wait and see" treatment because I know what I am looking
for and I have detailed information about his allergic history. If you
are in the backcountry and administer a med when it is not needed you
may have just fired the only shot you had before it was needed and
missed the target as well. Knowledge is power. If you can't find a
course, make friends with someone at your local rescue squad. Informal
training is better than no training at all, and the squad should have
training materials available. Tell them what your trek will be like and
how much access you will have to medical help, they should be able to
prepare you somewhat if they understand your concerns and needs.

 I encourage every Council to sponsor Wilderness First Aid courses. This
training is invaluable to Scout leaders. Even if you are an EMT,
Paramedic, CFR, Nurse, or Physician, you should take the course.
Wilderness protocols are VERY different and more comprehensive than the
'street medicine' protocols (stabilize and transport). There were 2
EMT's in my last Wilderness course who kept saying things like "but I
can't do that in my scope of practice!" and "they never taught us that
in my EMT class". 5, 10, or 20 miles from the road, the rules change. If
you are going to God's Country next summer, you have time to get the
training now, and have a safe and memorable adventure.

 By way of background, I am an active Certified First Responder and have
the epi and albuterol certifications. I live in a rural area and spend a
considerable amount of time 'away from the road' and up on the hiking
trails. I can tell you that my 12 week CFR course did not cover much of
the material covered in my 2 day WFA course. When I assist people on the
trail, most of the skills I use are the ones I learned in Wilderness
First Aid, not from my CFR.

 Happy safe Hiking,
 Tom
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-philmont@troop47.com
> [mailto:owner-philmont@troop47.com] On Behalf Of Henry Buruel
> Sent: Friday, December 02, 2005 12:29 AM
> To: Multiple recipients of list philmont
> Subject: Re: [Philmont]: Peanuts, EpiPens, and Anaphylaxis
>
>

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Received on Sat Dec 3 11:57:30 2005