Posted on 03/15/2013 9:32:28 AM PDT by bgill
Robin Fitzpatrick never knew peanuts could kill her son... The Plymouth, Mass., native was first diagnosed with a nut allergy when he was 8, after projectile-vomiting "across the room" at a Chinese restaurant, his mother said. In high school he suffered from a serious allergic reaction after he dropped his asthma inhaler into a pile of acorns... his mom couldn't find his Epi-Pen -- an epinephrine autoinjector. She had one in her cupboard but it had expired two months earlier. First responders told her over the phone that she shouldn't use it.
(Excerpt) Read more at gma.yahoo.com ...
That is the stupidest advice ever from a 911 operator. The child is dying, but don’t use an expired epi-pen?!? What will it do, kill him more?
No excuse for not using the “expired” epi pen.
So sad.
True on the date thing. Docs tell me that the epipen date doesn’t matter as long as the contents haven’t discolored (turned brown-which is why there is a viewing window in the thing) and if it is needed, use it.
I have a 13 year old who is allergic to peanuts.
At 13 she knows to read the label - not trust a friend who says they can’t taste any peanuts.
Feel sad for them but he was 19 and ate the cookie.
Great advice. Yeah, that date is magic. Once that date has come and gone, it just turns into saline solution and is of no benefit whatsoever. Just Unbelievable.
Poor kid. Ignorance and stupidity kills and he was the victim. He's in a better place, but we're still here dealing with what killed him.
The american public has been dumbed down to such an extent they almost need a meter to tell them when it is time to breathe.
This!^^^
Oh my gosh. Have we become SO dependenton authority figures and what they tell us (i.e., the government) that we simply are incapable of thinking for ourselves?? My kid is dying and I'm worried about a government required expiration date!!!
This is the mindset that destroys America. Reliance on authority and so-called experts instead taking independent action.
Sad story.
Yes, this is ridiculous. Exp dates only really indicate shelf life, not some danger situation. The main problem is it may not be as good as when it was new.
Sad anyway. God bless.
This type of stupidity infuriates me.
Dreadful. RIP.
Yes, and if death from anaphylatic shock seemed to be imminent, I would even take my chances on using an epipen with discolored contents. Products that are beyond there recommended shelf lives typically lose their potency very gradually. In a true emergency, who cares if it is only 75% as potent as a fresh product?...it’s still probably good enough!
First responders told her over the phone that she shouldn’t use it.
Great advice. Yeah, that date is magic. Once that date has come and gone, it just turns into saline solution and is of no benefit whatsoever. Just Unbelievable.
Poor kid. Ignorance and stupidity kills and he was the victim. He’s in a better place, but we’re still here dealing with what killed him.
Natural Selection, she wasn’t smart enough to think for herself and now her genes will not be passed on because her son is dead...
OF course so many people believe that the expiration dates on things are “THE WORD OF GOD” when the food will go bad it is just sad!!!!
I know some people who won’t touch anything food wise that is even a day past the expiration date....
When we start relying too much on the “defacto establishment authorities” to think for us we become mindless sheep and ripe for the slaughter...
About a month ago hubby got the flu so I started digging around in the medicine cabinets. Came up with some Flumadine that was years out of date. Hubby said I can’t take that. I told him take it cause the dates on them didn’t really mean anything except a little loss of potency. He took it and got better.
This woman and the 911 operator are idiots.
It's Chaucerian, truly. The poor child. The idiot mother.
One major rule if you are peanut allergic: Have the epipen with you, especially if you are going to eat anything.
A first responder or dispatcher is not going to use or recommend using an expired medication. It’s an invitation to a lawsuit regardless of the outcome.
Personally, if I were the parent, I would certainly use an expired EpiPen.
I’m a little surprised there’s someone out there who is unaware that peanut allergies can cause a severe or fatal allergic reaction.
My wife is deathly allergic to bee stings. We first discovered this on the day I almost lost her. At the time, I managed to get Benadryl down her just seconds before she passed out.
Her allergic reaction came on sudden and without warning, she was simply stung by a bee. She walked into the house, acted drunk, sat on the bed and fell onto the bed... and soon quit breathing. Had she been unattended at the time, she would likely be dead..... and so would I, because I don’t want to live without her.
After that, we always have Benadryl and two Epi-Pen’s around. One Pen in her purse and one that I control in my med bag. We keep them up to date, but if one were expired, I wouldn’t hesitate giving it to her. Frankly, the only other option would be to watch her die.
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