Accidently Jabbing Yourself with the Epi-Pen: You’re Not the Only One
More interesting findings from the recent AAAAI meeting. Researchers have found that unintential injections from the epinephrine auto-injectors (Epi-Pen and Twinject) are more common than once thought. They are recommending training for anyone who may need to administer these life-saving medications.
I confess that I have always wondered why the safety cap is on the “other” end of the injector, rather than having it over the needle end. I’ve seen several people (one relative and one school principal) almost inject themselves when learning how to use these.
When my son was given his first prescription for Epi-Pens (at the tender age of one year) we were seeing one of the leading pediatric allergists in the country. He told us to carry two. He said something along the lines of “If you’re going to carry one, why not carry two?” And we always have. Except when we travel, and we have multiple sets.
The true rate of occurrence of unintentional injection of epinephrine from auto-injectors is unknown, but the authors note that the previously projected rate of 1 in 50,000 injections has been seriously underestimated.
“An increased rate of occurrence is likely, paralleling the increased rate of occurrence of anaphylaxis in the community and the increased dispensing rates for epinephrine auto-injectors,” they stated.
Read more here.
April 27, 2009 @ 6:05 pm
I’ve always wondered why the needle end is black and not RED! Just a thought.
April 28, 2009 @ 5:36 pm
My husband, who was my fiance at the time, was administering the epi-pen to himself for the first time while he was having a reaction. He had the pen turned around backwards and shot the needle into his thumb. It turned his thumb completely black. He was smart enough to go directly to the emergency room. He was able to get enough of the medicine to calm the reaction, but he was in a lot of pain from the injection. The doctors had to inject his thumb several times to help increase the blood flow to his thumb. This is a good reminder to get out the epi-pen periodically to go over the process so that in the heat of the moment, we do not make a mistake. Personally, the pen is very confusing to me as well. I think the needle end should be red or neon orange or something.
June 21, 2009 @ 9:55 am
I too, was confused by the Epi-Pen when my 1 yr. old daughter was having an anaphalaxic reaction, even though I had practiced with the trainer they provided and showed many, many other family members how to use it! When the situation happens, your emotional state is compromised. For me, I honestly pulled off the black tip on the needle side, instead of the gray cap on the opposite end! I jabbed her, but never felt anything & knew I did something wrong, but was so nervous with trying to catch vomit, call 911, call husband, call babysitter for my 5 year old son, for heavens sake, my telephone kept flying out of my hands! When your in a distressing situation, that darn Epi-Pen IS confusing! And don’t even try figuring out the Twinject! The first one is automatic, but the second one is manual with unscrewing it from the autoinjection part! I feel it’s very important to practice with an out of date one instead of just discarding it after it’s expired! But, if not, practice with the trainer often and then look carefully at actual one for the differences. Better to be safe than sorry!
May 13, 2010 @ 8:29 pm
Public Sector Tenders…
I wish I had read this article last month, it would have made my job easier…