Anaphylaxis Guidelines

Epinephrine

Anaphylaxis is a potentially severe or life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur very quickly, as fast as within a couple of minutes of exposure to an allergen. It can be triggered by an allergy to a particular food (peanuts or shellfish, for example), biting or stinging insects, medication, latex, or a variety of other allergic triggers.

Unassigned Epinephrine Auto-injectors

In accordance with Chapter 38, Subchapter E of the Education Code, the board has adopted a policy to allow authorized school personnel who have been adequately trained to administer an unassigned epinephrine auto-injector to a person who is reasonably believed to be experiencing a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).

An “unassigned epinephrine auto-injector” is an epinephrine auto-injector prescribed by an authorized health-care provider in the name of the school issued with a non-patient-specific standing delegation order for the administration of an epinephrine auto-injector.

Epinephrine auto-injectors include brand-name devices such as EpiPens®.

Authorized and trained individuals may administer an epinephrine auto-injector at any time to a person experiencing anaphylaxis on a school campus.

The district will ensure that at each campus a sufficient number of school personnel are trained to administer epinephrine so that at least one trained individual is present on campus during regular school hours and whenever school personnel are physically on site for school-sponsored activities.

Authorized and trained individuals may administer an unassigned epinephrine auto-injector to a person experiencing anaphylaxis at an off-campus school event or while in transit to or from a school event when an unassigned epinephrine auto-injector is available.

For additional information, see policy FFAC Legal.

Students with Food Allergies