Anapen and Epipens. What they do and what are their differences?

In this week’s blog we will discuss the difference between EpiPens and Anapens for the treatment of Anaphylactic shock.   We will also briefly touch on the advantages and disadvantages of each.

The Anapen

Firstly, the new kid on the block, the Anapen.   The design of the Anapen is significantly different to its counterpart the EpiPen.   There is a safety cap over the red firing button to prevent accidental firing, and a sheath covering the needle end as well.   To fire the pen, remove the black needle sheath, then the grey safety cap covering the firing button.   Place the needle end firmly against the patient’s thigh and press the red button and hold firmly into patient’s leg for 10 seconds.   While this method is arguably safer, it is also far more complicated than the firing of an EpiPen.   I can also see an untrained person trying to administer this to someone, very easily injecting themselves with adrenaline accidently.

Cost is similar to the Epipen, although usually more expensive, the difference is usually only a few bucks.

Where the Anapen really shines is the shelf life of 2 years!   The Epipen will last only about 12 to 18 months before expiry.   So for a few dollars more you get an adrenaline auto injector that will last up to a year longer, sound like a bargain?   It is!

However the Anapen isn’t all sunshine and daisies, it almost always needs to be specially ordered as most chemists don’t stock them.   On top of that, it is more difficult to use than some other injectors, with more room for error.

The EpiPen

The EpiPen has been the standard for treating anaphylaxis for a long time now.   It is as simple to use as you can get.   You simply remove the safety cap and press the needle end firmly into the patient’s thigh until you hear and feel a click, then hold for 10 seconds.   Where the Epipen tends to fall short of the Anapen is value for money.   Both are around $100 usually if bought privately over the counter.   Because they are included under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, with a script, both are only $34.20.  With a script and a concession card, only $5.60!!!

So in conclusion, the EpiPen is cheaper (fractionally), and easier to use.   It is probably more suitable to young kids as it is less confusing to administer.

The Anapen is far better value for money and will last a lot longer, but is more complicated to use and easier to accidently get wrong.

This is NFTI signing off for another week. Next time we are going to cover something new and exciting, stay tuned for more!

The NFTI Team

Childhood Convulsions

In this weeks first aid tip, we would like to cover something that is close to home for us at NFTI. As we are all parents here, some of us just recently, we know how scary it would be if suddenly our child started convulsing.

So this week we would like to cover Childhood Convulsions.

What is it?   A seizure… looks similar to epilepsy.

A childhood convulsion (also called a febrile convulsion) is one of the scariest things you will ever see as a parent or a carer.   But the important thing is that the convulsion is NOT DANGEROUS (but the temperature, or the condition that caused it, might be).

What causes them???

The seizure is brought on by a rapid change in temperature, NOT a high temp as most people believe.   Huh?   Well, lets imagine taking a cold glass out of the fridge, and putting it straight under the hot water tap.   What would happen?…The glass would crack because the temperature change is too quick to handle.   Well, in young children (usually under 6 years), sometimes the temp climbs too quickly, the body cannot cope, and that causes the seizure.   So, why does the child get hot?   Firstly, when we get sick, our temperature often rises.   That slows us down (we often go to bed) so the body can fight the bug.   Secondly, the higher temps’s often kill the bug.   But a young child sometimes doesn’t have accurate control over the body’s thermostat.   If the child gets too hot, too quickly, something has to give…and they can have a seizure.

What do they look like?

SCARY!!!

Eyes rolled back or squinting, with arched spine or head thrown back, often with shaking and convulsing, and sometimes foaming at the mouth or moaning.   Tightly clenched fists, often with flushed face and fever.

What do we do?

STAY CALM (yeah right!)

After the convulsion finishes, roll them on their side, strip off their clothing to let them air cool.   DO NOT SPONGE THEM DOWN as cooling them down too quickly may cause another seizure.

Contact your doctor or ambulance for advice.   Give medication only if told to do so by doctor or ambo.

REMEMBER:   the convulsion is NOT dangerous, but the condition could be…always seek medical advice.

 We hope this gives you a insight into how Childhood Convulsions work and that they are not as scary as they look.

We hope you all have a Great Easter Break and in our next blog we are going to look at the differences between Anapens & Epipens.

The NFTI Team

Changes to CPR!

Welcome to National First Aid's Blog. We will be keeping you updated with First Aid Tips and new updates from the Australian Resuscitation Council.

At the end of 2010, The Australian Resuscitation Council(ARC) and ILCOR (International Liaison committee on Resuscitation) met in Portugal to discuss any changes needed to CPR.

Below is what the came out with and the new changes have come into affect in January 2011.
You can also see these changes and any other ARC guidelines on their website http://www.resus.org.au/

The changes that have been made are: New step "S" for Send for Help and 2 INITIAL Rescue breaths have been removed. The ARC also states that is rescuers are Unwilling or unable to perform rescue breathing with CPR, then Chest compressions only may be given.
So the Basic Life Support Chart now looks like this:
D - Check for DANGER -is there a danger to you or the casualty?
R-  Check for a Response -Are they responsive
S-  Send for Help - Call an ambulance on 000 or 112
A - Check their Airway - Is it Open and Clear?
B- Check for Breathing - Are they breathing effectively? (If they are unconscious and breathing they must be rolled on their side into the recovery position
C- Commence CPR - 30 compressions and 2 breaths
D-Attach an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) if one is available and follow the prompts.

For anyone reading this, we sincerely hope you never have to do CPR.  However if the life of a family member or friend is at stake, then the flow chart above may help you save their life.

So that's it for today. If there are any topics you would like to know more about, let us know and we can do a post about it for you.

The NFTI Team