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.
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.
Dreadful. RIP.
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 Came up with some Flumadine that was years out of date.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.
Too bad Obama wasn’t there; he could have given him a breathalyzer...
At 19 years old, reponsibility for this lies solely on the deceased. An idiotic 911 operator, a bad info giving friend or a do as told mother did not cause this man’s death, he did. Sadly, lawyers will see that everyone but him is held responsible.
Exactly! Meds don’t lose 100% of their effectiveness at precisely 12:01AM on the expiration date! Pills are a slow-motion chemistry lab, perhaps producing compounds you don’t want (such as carcinogens) over time and reducing the effectiveness of those you do want. But meds can remain effective, at least somewhat, long after the expiration date. Avoid them if you can. But to save someone’s life, if that’s all you’ve got, of course you’ll administer them. Now, if you’re a healthcare professional, I can understand the reluctance. I mean, you could get your pants sued off. But for this poor mom and her son... Tragic.
The big-government/big-corporate criminal complex would be deprived of rightful revenue if she did.
“First responders told her over the phone that she shouldn’t use it.”
Why? Will it make him sick?
I wonder if the mom heard that rather than it was said.
When seconds counts the paramedics are just minutes away.
This young man’s threat to his well being could not be eliminated with a gun but it is the same principle. You must be prepared to take care of you and yours at any moment and not be dependent upon the government.