Nevada joins ranks: EpiPens must be stashed in school.

Two bizarre and frightening cases of anaphylactic shock in schoolchildren are being noted in discussions regarding a new piece of legislation in Nevada, according to RGJ.com.

The first tells the story of then-6-year-old Jessica Patin, a girl whose EpiPen likely saved her life after her skin came in contact with cashews one day at a friend's house for a play date. As her mother, Niki, rushed the nut-allergic child to the emergency room, and Jessica's condition worsened on the way, Niki hurriedly pressed her daughter's EpiPen into her thigh, perhaps the only measure that bought the family enough time to reach the hospital safely.

"It was absolutely what saved her life," Niki said of her daughter's epinephrine auto-injector.

The second story is, sadly, one that has occurred all too frequently across playrooms, playgrounds and cafeterias in America. Ammaria Johnson, a 7-year-old student in Va., was given a peanut by a classmate and almost immediately reached anaphylactic shock. Paramedics were called, but the young girl died before they managed to arrive at the school.

Ammaria's story could have had a much different outcome, had she had access to her EpiPen. This knowledge is what has led many to clamor for epinephrine auto-injectors to be readily available in schools and administered quickly and safely. Ammaria's mother wanted her daughter's EpiPen to be on school grounds, where she spent much of her week, but was told the pen must remain at home, reported RGJ.com.

Changing the Outcome

This year, Nevada has become another state that requires every public school to keep auto-injectors on hand to help prevent tragic instances of anaphylactic shock taking or severely disrupting children's lives. Since 2012, 20 U.S. states have introduced similar legislation and 15 of them passed such laws this year.

In a generous gesture, Mylan, the maker of EpiPen brand epinephrine auto-injectors, are offering four pens to each of the 663 Nevada public schools, saving the state over $200,000 and helping tremendously to create a safer school environment for children with known and unknown allergies.

Sen. Debbie Smith (D-Sparks) of Nevada, main sponsor of the bill, explained, "This is a bill that is going to save lives. This is significant."

Source: rgj.com, 7/14/13