The AllerGéniusz association proposes to make life-saving injections available in Hungarian schools in the future in order to save the lives of schoolchildren suffering from allergies. Last Tuesday, a 7-year-old student in Budapest died after eating nuts at a school birthday party.
This article was originally published on our sister-site, Ungarn Heute.
According to the tabloid newspaper Bors, a 7-year-old boy died of a severe food allergy caused by a peanut exposure after a birthday party at a school in Újpest. The child was already feeling bad at the facility, but he went into anaphylactic shock occurred at a nearby gas station. The tabloid reported that the ambulance arrived on the scene after about three minutes, but they were unable to help the child.
On this occasion, the Foundation for Child Protection issued a statement. According to director Éva Gesztes, the assumption that calcium would help with allergic shock is wrong. On the contrary, one can help children only if one first determines how severe the reaction is. In severe cases, a self-dosing pen with adrenaline can be prescribed, which both the person and the people around can use when a reaction occurs.
The AllerGéniusz association also proposes that the food of those with allergies to certain dishes or insect bites should be protected by law. This should result in the fact that such students cannot get dishes containing nuts in schools and that teachers are informed about what to do in such cases.
We consider it very important that at least two EPIPEN or ANAPEN injections are provided to each institution and that they can be used by teachers, educators, or any staff, with annual training on how to use them,”
said Edit Szívósné Rabb, president of the association on state television M1.
According to pediatrician Tamás Bense, the number of people with food allergies has increased significantly in recent years. The symptoms can already appear a few minutes after eating, so the rescue must be initiated immediately.
Featured image: illustration Zoltán Balogh/MTI