Severe Allergic Reactions- Anaphylaxis

A medication form can be found here.

An allergy care plan can be found here.

Students come to school with diverse medical conditions that can impact their health and learning. Some conditions may be serious and even life threatening, such as Anaphylaxis. When a student who is highly allergic is exposed to an allergen (such as food, medication or insect bites) they can face life-threatening anaphylaxis within moments.

Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening condition, requiring immediate medical attention.

• Students that have a Severe Allergic Reaction or Anaphylaxis to an Allergan, diagnosed by a Physician, must have an Emergency Action Plan written by his or her Physician on file in the nurse’s office.

• The plan must include any needed Emergency Rescue Medication orders(such as Epinephrine, Benadryl, or Albuterol)

• This plan must be renewed annually. 

• Medication and Action Plan Forms can be obtained is the nurse’s office or on the district web site.

Epinephrine for First Time Reactions

Due to the  serious implications of severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis),New York State Public Health law permits the  Kingston City School District  Medical Director  to  write a non-patient specific order for anaphylaxis treatment agents(epinephrine injection) allowing a school nurse (a registered professional nurse) to administer emergency medications in the event of an unanticipated anaphylactic episode. 

In other words, your child can also be treated with Epinephrine Injection at school if he or she is experiencing anaphylaxis for the first time in the school setting, even if he/she has not been previously diagnosed by a doctor with anaphylaxis.

Every attempt will be made to contact the student’s parent; however, treatment for this life-threatening condition will not be delayed or withheld if the parent cannot be reached.

All individuals receiving emergency epinephrine will immediately be transported to a hospital by ambulance, even if symptoms appear to have resolved, for further evaluation and treatment.
Treatment is centered on treating the rapidly progressing effects of the histamine release in the body. Current research indicates that:
• Emergency medications should be given immediately upon concern that the student might be experiencing an anaphylactic allergic reaction.
• Most fatalities occur due to delay in delivery of the needed medication.
• Fatal and near-fatal reactions are sometimes associated with not giving epinephrine in a timely manner.
• When in doubt, it is better to give the epinephrine autoinjector and call the emergency medical services (EMS) for immediate transportation to the appropriate medical facility (Sampson, 1992 and Bock, 2001).

In the event that you do not want your child to receive the treatment described above, please send a written note to your child’s school nurse indicating your wishes.

All Kingston City Schools are Allergy Aware Schools in order to provide a safe environment for all students and staff. 

We ask for Allergy Awareness and Respect when coming to school.  People can be allergic to many different things.  Some of our school community members may be allergic to foods, medications, skin care products, insect bites or animals.  Some allergic reactions can be life threatening. In order to keep our school community safe, we ask that you follow a few simple guidelines.  We ask that you discuss and reinforce these guidelines with your children.

1.  Allergen Free Zones will be available in the cafeterias on an as-needed basis. For example, if a student is highly allergic to peanut or dairy products, you might see a peanut- or diary-free designated table. Please remind your children to avoid sitting at these tables if they have these products on in their lunch.

2. Some classrooms in our schools may be designated as Allergen Free Areas.  You will be notified if your child is in an Allergy Aware Classroom.(example: Peanut or Tree-nut Free Classroom)

3. Please discourage food sharing at school and on the bus.

4. Please check with the classroom teacher prior to sending food into the classroom for sharing and when assisting with planning parties in the classroom.

5. Encourage good hand washing before and after meals.

6. If your child has serious allergic reactions to foods, insect bites, or other allergens, share this information with the school nurse and classroom teacher so that together we can develop a plan to help keep your child safe at school.  Medications at school will require a doctor’s order each school year.

7. If your child has a serious food allergy, educate your child about safe food choices and the possible dangers of food sharing.  Educate your child about how to stay safe if they think they have had an exposure (tell an adult, ask for medication).

8. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your school nurse.

Thank you for your help in keeping our students and staff safe.