Allergen policy

Emergency treatment

Recognising an allergic reaction

Mild to moderate symptoms:

  • raised itchy rash (hives)
  • tingling or itching in the mouth
  • swelling of lips, face or eyes
  • stomach pain
  • nausea or vomiting

Severe symptoms (ABC symptoms)

Airway:

  • swelling of the tongue or throat
  • difficulty swallowing
  • hoarse voice

Breathing:

  • wheezing
  • persistent cough
  • difficulty breathing
  • noisy breathing

Circulation:

  • dizziness
  • pale or clammy skin
  • extreme tiredness
  • collapse
  • loss of consciousness

If a learner has been exposed to a known allergen and develops any severe symptoms, anaphylaxis should be suspected.

Emergency action:

  1. stay with the learner and call for assistance
  2. do not leave the learner unattended
  3. lie the learner flat with legs raised
  4. if breathing is difficult, they may sit up temporarily
  5. administer the prescribed AAI immediately
  6. note the time the AAI was given
  7. call 999 and state "ANAPHYLAXIS"
  8. if symptoms do not improve after 5 minutes, administer a second AAI if available
  9. if there are no signs of life, commence CPR
  10. contact parents/carers or emergency contacts as soon as possible

A member of staff should accompany the learner to hospital if a parent/carer or emergency contact is unable to arrive before ambulance transfer.

The learner must not stand or walk around following an anaphylactic reaction.

All learners who have experienced anaphylaxis must be taken to hospital for observation, even if symptoms appear to have improved.

All incidents must be recorded and reported in accordance with InspireU's accident, incident and safeguarding procedures.

Following any allergic reaction requiring emergency treatment, InspireU  will undertake a post-incident review to identify any lessons learned and to determine whether updates to healthcare plans, risk assessments, staff training or control measures are required.