IN CASE OF EMERGENCY:

EMS Script

If you are reading this because you think an allergic reaction may be occurring, ACT IMMEDIATELY; WAITING MAY BE DEADLY.

Disclaimer: I (TJ) am NOT a medical professional, and PeanutFreeNYC LLC will never provide medical advice. While PeanutFreeNYC LLC makes a best-effort attempt to reflect the current state of allergy safety protocol from scientifically rigorous sources in a more convenient way, this information may be outdated, misinterpreted, or just wrong. Always prioritize following a written and practiced emergency action plan from a licensed medical professional, and not a webpage from some unaccredited person on the internet.

1. ADMINISTER EPINEPHRINE in the outer thigh (upper leg). Remove the top plastic cap, forcefully jab into the outer upper leg and hold for 10 seconds. Risks of unnecessary injection are minimal. [1]

Note: NEVER pull the emergency brake on the subway or other transit. Locate emergency intercoms with red buttons (not available on cars with orange + yellow seats or Staten Island Railroad), and communicate the above information to the train operator. They will stop the train at the station and contact EMS.

2. Lie the patient down face-up, with feet elevated; if choking or vomiting, roll the patient onto one side. [1]

3. If symptoms do not resolve immediately and permanently after injection, call 911. [3] Provide the following information, and do not hang up unless instructed:

“Life-threatening food allergy” [1]
“Need ambulance with epinephrine” [1]
Location (address or intersection, building name and floor)
Age, gender, medical history
Any other requested information

If available, tell someone to flag down the ambulance.

4. If there are no signs of breathing, coughing or movement, begin CPR. Do uninterrupted chest presses - about 100 every minute - until EMS arrives. [2]

5. Administer antihistamines (benadryl) or auto-inhaler if prescribed. [1]

6. After 5 minutes, if symptoms have not dramatically improved, administer epinephrine again. Remove the top plastic cap, forcefully jab into the outer upper leg and hold for 10 seconds. [1]

7. After each additional 5 minutes, If symptoms have not dramatically improved, administer epinephrine again. Remove the top plastic cap, forcefully jab into the outer upper leg and hold for 10 seconds. [1]

8. If any symptoms remain or recur, remain at a medical facility for at least four hours. If all symptoms remain completely resolved, this step is only recommended. [3]

Follow-Up Steps:

Reach out to PeanutFreeNYC; compensation will include a full refund and reimbursement of reaction-related expenses where feasible
Request itemized bills from all medical service providers
If traveling, review all applicable insurance policies for healthcare, flight rescheduling, additional accommodation, and other expenses
Order new epinephrine