https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 If you are giving an injection to someone else, such as a child, ensure that you follow proper safety procedures. Once a year Ill get my new Epipen and practice with the trainer. May described his son as turning bright red in color, and said he was sweating profusely by the time he arrived at the hospital. Its always better for someone to help monitor your behavior and call for help if needed. An unintentional injection into the hands or feet might reduce blood supply to these tissues, potentially resulting in tissue death. That is not because of the epinephrine, but because the allergic reaction probably requires further monitoring. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 3 What happens if you use an EpiPen and dont go to the hospital? If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Warnings for Shock Pens Shock pens may be sold as harmless pranks, but they have the potential to cause injury. When handling epinephrine auto-injectors, it is easy to accidentally inject yourself with epinephrine. Many people dont realize that after using the pen, you still must call 911 and get emergency medical attention, just in case you need back-up treatment. Have you ever had to deal with an accidental epinephrine injection? The most common injury related to self-injection is pain at the injection site. On this episode of ER or Not, Dr. Patients who have an acute allergic reaction can immediately inject epinephrine with them, reversing peripheral vasodilation, edema, constriction of the airways, and myocardial depression. An ironic side note: An estimated 10% of accidental epinephrine injections occur when healthcare providers demonstrate how to use the injector to their patients! 9 What happens if you accidentally inject epinephrine into your thumb? Talk with your doctor about how you can best control symptoms of your illness. Keep the wound clean and dry. We think a regimen of treatment should be available to treat accidental epinephrine injection. Here are some tips to help. What happens if you stab someone with an EpiPen? Denkler K: A comprehensive review of epinephrine in the finger: to do or not to do. The Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters guidelines recommend that patients at risk carry two epipens at all times (or any auto injector). Should I go to the hospital if I stabbed my hand? I decided to try the practice one I knew was in the case. 1 What happens if I accidentally stab myself with an epipen? Several approaches were proposed: metacarpal nerve block or digital block with local lidocaine to induce an inhibition of sympathetic afferents to the digit; and topical nitroglycerin, systemic vasodilators, and warming by immersion in water to increase the blood flow supplying the digit. Press J to jump to the feed. https://doi.org/10.4076/1752-1947-3-7268, DOI: https://doi.org/10.4076/1752-1947-3-7268. If the finger is looking white, this would warrant going to an . Pediatr Allergy Immunol. Keep your hand and fingers away from the needle end. At the ER they usually only watch you for safety purposes and since I didnt need the ER my mom stayed up until 1am with me to make sure I was safe. What I stabbed myself with. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Clean any accidental sticks right away. You will need to receive further treatment and observation. Treatment included topical nitroglycerin, oral vasodilators and warming of the thumb. A physician in a Family Practice training program accidentally injected epinephrine into his left thumb while reading the operating instructions of an autoinjector (Epipen). You might feel anxious. The school district said it is investigating the incident and are reviewing school-wide procedures to make sure something similar does not happen again. Its use is limited by adverse side effects such as hypotension and tachycardia, requiring adequate pre-hydration. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. However, sometimes the symptoms get better and then start again a few hours later. What may seem like a simple cut can, in fact, be a deep stab laceration. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Other possible injuries include redness, swelling, blistering, or peeling of the skin, bleeding under the skin, or scarring. The intravenous alpha-blocker phentolamine was not prescribed. Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone. Greene AK: Management of epinephrine injection injury to the digit. What happens if you accidentally get stabbed with an EpiPen? Use your EpiPen at the first sign of anaphylaxis. 2023 BioMed Central Ltd unless otherwise stated. "Somehow he, when he reached into the batch, got a hold of a real, live EpiPen, and used it -- like everyone else -- and stuck it into his thigh.". If I start to feel nausea and my stomach hurts or I get rashes and a headache, should I use an epipen? I was trying to use the empty injector they give you to practice and ended up accidentally sticking myself by accident with the actual pen am I going to be okay? 3 Does it matter where you stick an EpiPen? This is important to know if you normally have high blood pressure, Cupboard/First Aid Kit Away From Children And Pets, Away From Sun (in the dark) But Not Refrigerated, You might feel antsy for a few hours afterward. We are planning to do this with a bunch at our next family gathering so anyone who might be around our son can have some practice. My son, 10 yrs. Your injection can be a reason for concern if injected in the hands, feet, or digits. It's painful so I cant type that much. Seek immediate medical attention in the case of an accidental injection. do not suck the wound. All are serious errors that can delay or prevent getting someone the epinephrine necessary to stop a reaction. 29/07/2008 23:27. 6 What happens if you use an EpiPen and dont go to the hospital? Symptoms of an accidental injection are not usually so severe and may include temporary numbness or tingling, pain and swelling at the injection site, elevated heart rate and/or heart palpations. Answer (1 of 4): I just saw your comment that you stabbed yourself in the finger. A delay in administering epinephrine can be life threatening. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Dust Mite Allergy And Chronic Cough (My Throat Was Irritated), Is Vaseline Good For Eczema (When To Use And Avoid). Chris May's son and fellow students at . What happens if I use an EpiPen and dont need it? 2 Why do they stab each other with EpiPens? 10.1016/0735-6757(90)90295-B. I recommend not being weird like me and deciding to stab yourself with your old practice epipen like me, because it might be the real one with a needle and not the practice one. Large amounts of ink swallowed from a bottle could be irritant, but serious poisoning has not been reported.". If you accidentally stab the tip in your buttocks, the medication dosage will be less effective. 10.1016/S0735-6757(99)90028-1. Or just take reactants. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The tester should look altogether different from the actual pen with a vivid color or other markings. Then you can just throw the case away. The only difference was the real pen had a black tip and practice pen had a grey tip. Like other injections that go into the muscle (e.g. A Florida woman woke her sister up by drunkenly stabbing her with an EpiPen Thursday night, then explained to police that she's "allergic to drunks," WBBH reports. The Epipen can as a result of this increase in blood pressure cause quick heartbeat, and in the case that your heart is damaged or worsening cardiomegaly, this may lead to atrial flutter, which may lead to an atrial flutter which may lead to fibrillation that could collapse your heart. Formal training should be provided to all health professionals who prescribe or issue epinephrine autoinjectors. Because epinephrine has a powerful effect of making blood vessels contract, your finger may be at risk of not getting sufficient blood flow to survive. This however, is the worst-case scenario. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 10 How do you know if an EpiPen has worked? You'll feel a rush of energy. If you or someone in your family injects an Epipen without needing it,make sure you understand how it will make you feel and the potential adverse effects. If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. 2007, 2: 5-11. Then theres a deep ache as the medicine is released into the muscle. The child is fine now, but questions remain how this troubling incident could have happened. CAS If you pierce or puncture your skin with a used needle, follow this first aid advice immediately: encourage the wound to bleed, ideally by holding it under running water. Aside from this, there are also risks of an accidental injection in and of itself. When it comes to allergies everyone experiences different types of symptoms and Ive rarely had respiratory symptoms that affected my breathing. Dr. Hansen has worked in hospitals for over 20 years and is a highly respected surgeon. Google Scholar. I looked down at the epipen itself and saw there was a needle. For about ten seconds. My son's have always been. Dr. Alvin Lin answered. 2 What common mistake can happen when using an EpiPen? Call first to speak to a nurse or doctor then take their advice on whether you need to visit the medical office. Follow the instructions to remove the safety cap (s). use an adrenaline auto-injector if the person has one - but make sure you know how to use it correctly first; call 999 for an ambulance immediately (even if they start to feel better) - mention that you think the person has anaphylaxis wash the wound using running water and plenty of soap. It will also reduce swelling of the face and respiratory system. (Brands may instruct users to hold the pen in place for 3, 5 or 10 seconds. report some recovery [6]. A commonplace for discussion, news, advice and questions with fellow sufferers. The idea is "blue to the sky". In the case of a deep cut to the palm, the ulnar nerve may be injured and result in paralysis of the intrinsic muscles to the hand. Required fields are marked *. You should always be checked out at the ER after using your EpiPen. Up to 16% of tested doctors who read the instructions on the Epipen device self-injected the Epipen trainer into their thumb. I havent had to use mine, however, I still carry around the expensive auto-injector. I : I believe that it's highly unlikely for anyone to develop lead poisoning from getting stabbed with a mechanical pencil, not that i'm recommending an experiment. After injecting an EpiPen, hearing a click lets you know it worked. 1993, 70: 396-398. I think that the tester should be much more clearly marked, we had someone at work who was trying to show us how to help her in case of emergency and she accidentally used the tester and accidentally injected herself with the live pen. Ugeskr Laeger. Many people don't realize that after using the pen, you still must call 911 and get emergency medical attention, just in case you need back-up treatment. Article This could lead to a heart attack. Here are a few tips I recommend based on the storage instructions. In a hurry, Christina grabbed a syringe full of epinephrine and directed it to the patient's heart without looking. Little electric shocks can cause injury or disease if you come into contact with them directly. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. My allergist has plenty of trainers laying around the office and they use a permanent marker to write trainer on practice injectors. Should you go to the emergency room immediately? If you get an artificially high dose (milligrams rather than tenths of a milligram) it can kill you. CJEM. But mistakes happen and you should be prepared. If the contents of the needle splashed to nose, mouth, face or other skin areas, wash them well with soap. Vascular surgeons, anesthetists, and a hand specialist were contacted by the treating general internist. I first got my epipen back in 2006 and it was the same ones that I had at my house. Once injected epinephrine will: According to instructions, you should inject yourself in the upper thigh, however, mistakes are made. This is why I an paranoid when I take my humera tired. However, the surgery proved it was Jackson after Cristina messed up. This may also cause the loss of sensation to the ring and little fingers. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Ive followed suit and do the same when I receive a new Epipen. She ended up stabbing Alex (Justin Chambers) with a syringe full of epinephrine, which caused him to collapse. EpiPen pro tips. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. What happens if you stick yourself with an EpiPen accidentally? If you do happen to get hit by a shock wave, try not to touch anything with metal objects inside it because you don't want those charges to go somewhere else. It does not store any personal data. If you accidentally stab the tip in your buttocks, the medication dosage will be less effective.