vashon island school district health services update life-threatening health conditions
TRANSCRIPT
Is your classroom ready for a medical emergency?
1. Mini first aid kit: band aids + gloves + gauze pads2. Disaster first aid backpack3. Classroom emergency card4. School medical emergency protocol
• Call 911 if needed• Send 2 runners to office with emergency card, name of person &
nature of problem – 1 runner to class next door
ASTHMA• Asthma tends to make a person’s
airways irritated and swollen or inflamed
• For students with asthma, breathing problems can turn into a serious emergency
• Exercise• Pollen• Mold• Dust• Carpeting• Strong odors • Animals • Cold air• Illness
PREVENTION: control triggers
• Coughing or itchy throat• Stuffy or runny nose• Funny or tight feeling in chest• Fatigue• Behavioral changes, agitation, irritability• Decreased appetite• Dark circles under eyes• Headache
Early Warning Signs
Sit, rest, use inhaler if self-carryOtherwise, escort to nurse
When to call 911
IF breathing is so difficult that the student has trouble talking or walking
OR the student’s lips or fingernails look gray or blue
OR the inhaler rescue medicine is not helping (breathing should improve within 15 minutes
after the first puffs from the inhaler)
If you call 911, stay with the student until help arrives
and call the office so that they can notify nurse and student’s parent or guardian
• Allergic shock or generalized allergic reaction
• An allergic reaction that can result in death due to airway obstruction or a severe drop in blood pressure
• An extreme total body reaction
Allergy – Anaphylaxis
Food• Milk• Eggs• Peanuts• Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews,
walnuts)• Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder)• Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)• Soy• Wheat
Wasp or Bee Sting
Other• Medications• Latex• Cold• Pollen
Common Causes of Anaphylactic Allergic Reaction
Follow the plan to avoid exposure to allergen
Reactions can be unpredictable, always be prepared
A child can have a very severe allergic reaction, even if previous reactions have been mild
Children with asthma are at risk for a more severe food allergy reaction
Changes in routine pose the greatest risk of exposure to allergens• Field trips• Birthday parties• Special events
A delay in getting help and the administration of epinephrine are believed to be a factor in fatal reactions -
Don’t hesitate. Medicate.
FaceItchiness, redness, swelling of face and tongue
AirwayTrouble breathing, swallowing or speaking
StomachStomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea
Total bodyRash, itchiness, swelling, weakness, paleness, sense of doom, loss of consciousness
Think F.A.S.T.
Give Epinephrine
Call 911
Hold firmly with orange tip pointing downward.
Remove blue safety cap by pulling straight up.
Do not bend or twist.
Swing and push orange tip firmly into mid-outer thigh until you hear a “click.”
Hold on thigh for ten seconds.
Built-in needle protection
When EpiPen is removed, the orange needle cover automatically extends to cover the injection needle, ensuring the needle is never exposed.
Remove the EpiPen Auto-Injector from the carrier tube and follow these 2 simple steps:
DIABETES
Type 1 – Insulin Dependent Diabetes
Autoimmune disease Body destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas Insulin is required by the body to use glucoseWithout insulin, body starves to deathShort and long-term consequences Serious disease that can affect academics and student health greatly Students with diabetes have legal rights – If no IEP will have 504 plan
What affects blood sugar?
• Insulin
• Foods eaten
• Exercise
• Illness
• Growth spurt
• Stress and any changes in routine
Diabetes is a 24/7 disease
Requires constant juggling to prevent high or low blood sugar
High vs. Low Blood Sugar
High blood sugar
Increased thirst, frequent urination, nausea, fruity breath, fatigue, blurry vision, drowsiness, confusion
• Develops more slowly
• Insulin is treatment
Low blood sugar
Hunger, headache, dizziness, change in behavior, poor coordination, blurry vision, drowsiness, confusion
• Can get to dangerous level more quickly
• When in doubt, give sugar (candy, juice)
Student either independent or nurse assist:
• Blood sugar monitoring before all meals and snacks & before PE
• Counting carbohydrates in all food eaten
• Dosing w/ appropriate dose of insulin
• Problem solving for equipment problems, illness, low & high blood sugar
Never send student with low blood sugar to office alone
Speak to office secretary or send with escort
GlucagonGiven if student cannot swallow safely eg. seizure or unconscious
Hormone releases sugar stored in liver
Only nurse, parent or trained personnel can give
Kept in health room
Know the plan & make sure your substitute teachers know the plan
Provide unlimited access to water & bathroom
Provide accommodations for students with diabetes - no penalty for time out of classroom due to diabetes
Notify the parents/guardian and school nurse well in advance of changes in the school schedule : class parties, field trips, special events.
Eating meals and snacks on time is a critical component of diabetes management.
High or low blood sugar could result in behavioral change and cognitive impairment.
SeizureAvoid further injury: Remove glasses, protect head
Turn on side if on floor
Track time, document seizure activity
Remain with student
Notify nurse
See health plan for type of seizure, do they need post-seizure medication
When is a Seizure an Emergency?First time seizure (no medical ID and no known history of seizures)
Convulsive seizure lasting more than 5 minutes
Repeated seizures without regaining consciousness
More seizures than usual or change in type
Student is injured, has diabetes or is pregnant
Seizure occurs in water
Normal breathing does not resume