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The common association of epinephrine with treatment of cardiac arrest can make people anxious about its use for other situations, including severe allergic reactions. With conditions such a anaphylaxis able to cause serious health risks—and able to occur nearly anywhere—health care workers from all sectors should become familiar with proper steps for treating allergic reactions. Including the use of epinephrine, according to a report from National Public Radio.

That report indicated that only about 50% of internal medicine physicians know epinephrine should be first treatment for someone affected by a serious allergic reaction. Conversely, the repot indicated that a patient in a hospital emergency department who is battling the effects of anaphylaxis does not receive epinephrine up to 80% of the time.

“I think moms are probably more aggressive than physicians are in using [epinephrine],” says Dr. Andrew Murphy, an allergist and member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Part of the problem may be that doctors use epinephrine to treat cardiac arrest, so it’s “associated with really life-ending events and people get really nervous about it,” says Murphy. He adds that use of epinephrine for treatment of severe allergic reaction has been established as safe and effective.

Though the allergists have recommended epinephrine as a first treatment for years, “It’s the first time that we’ve collaborated with emergency department specialists,” says Dr. Stanley Fineman, past president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. He is not an author of the guidelines but has been involved with the organization’s past work.

During instances when an individual is aware he or she is experiencing anaphylaxis and that individual has an epinephrine auto-injector, Murphy says that person should use the auto-injector. He adds that the next step is for the individual to advise physicians about an their allergy history and what’s happened to them.

“You just have to be a strong advocate for yourself,” he says, such as, ” ‘I’m having anaphylaxis,’ and that should get them to administer epinephrine.”

[Source: National Public Radio]