BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > STICKIED POSTS
Howto: Administer an Epinephrine Shot
Minyassa:
Being a newcomer both to bees and this forum, I came to this thread first because the last time I was stung by an insect (yellowjacket), some 15 years ago, I had a mild anaphylactic reaction, almost like an incomplete asthma attack, that went away after I took Benadryl. The incident frightened my husband and he took me immediately to get an Epi-pen. I still have it, but obviously it has now expired. Until I read this thread, I was not taking the whole "get a new epi-pen" issue seriously despite my mother and husband wanting to swat me for dragging my heels on it...someone told me that there are plenty of allergic beekeepers and do I ever read about beekeeping deaths in the newspaper? Nope. So I thank you all for this thread for potentially saving my life, but I have a couple of questions now:
1. Am I legally endangering my mentor in any way? Of course I will tell him or her (haven't met my mentor yet, just started training) about my past reaction, and I will certainly carry my new epi-pen with me to bee yard sessions, but I want to make sure that I am not going to come off as inconsiderate or stupid or a troublemaker (my best friend just told me "to me it sounds like Superman working in a Kryptonite mine").
2. How do I now get over the mind-numbing *terror* of finding out whether I am actually allergic by risking having to punch a ginormous hole in my leg with a potentially thumb-impaling needle the thickness of a space shuttle and then suffering hours of misery and thousands of dollars of medical incapacitation? Please give me some kind of a talk-down here, because this thread scared the heck out of me while awakening my common sense.
PS--while I have only had the one reaction to a wasp sting as far as insects go, I had the same mild respiratory reaction to a bite from a jumping spider more recently but not to stings from a venomous caterpillar a few years ago. The spider bite was almost exactly like the yellowjacket sting; the caterpillar stings were horribly painful and itchy, but only locally around the sting site and without any breathing problem at all. During none of these events have I experienced full body itching, just the usual pain and swelling of a sting.
Jim134:
--- Quote from: Minyassa on February 21, 2011, 03:19:09 am ---someone told me that there are plenty of allergic beekeepers
--- End quote ---
I have been doing beekeeping for over 50 years and I have meet one.GO TO A DR. AND GET A TEST ........
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
James M. Wagner:
You might want to check and see what the liability might be if you administered a shot to someone other than yourself. That might come under the heading of practicing medicine without a license.
[/quote]
I believe you are correct in that.
I am a licensed EMT in Alabama and I am legally able to only 'assist' a patient in administering a dose to themselves. That dose must have been prescribed to the patient AND not be expired. In other words, i cannot procure an epi pen for 'emergencies' that may crop up with someone visiting my own beeyard because the epi pen will obviously NOT have been specifically prescribed to that person.
The simplest (and best) thing to do - call 911 if someone gets stung and is having an allergic reaction. Paramedics have a lot more leeway in what they can do and often carry epi pens in their rescue vehicle or ambulance. Even then, they must get permission from medical control PRIOR to administration of the drug.
Laws to vary by state, so I would seriously consider looking into what your laws are before going to the expense of getting a prescription to buy epi pens that you intend to be used on other people. Find out what a layperson can do to administer first aid to a bee sting victim in your state. It will likely be simply an ice pack. Epinephrine is a drug and drugs do have side effects. If you administer a prescription drug to someone other than to whom it was prescribed and they have and adverse reaction then you are in deep doodoo.
My 2 centavos.
-James Wagner, NREMT
Kathyp:
so wrap their fingers around the thing and give it. what? you are going to let them die because of liability?
if your mentor is concerned, write a note for him.
iddee:
NC has the good Samaritan law. If you suspect someone is going to die if they don't receive help, you cannot be held liable for trying to help them. Even if it doesn't work.
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