spstarke. Life-saving auto-injectors are used to treat anaphylaxis. Ive broken out in hives a few times and Ive wondered if I needed to use my Epipen. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. But if you do this article can help make sure you know what to do. J Emerg Med. Zucker first described phentolamine as useful to prevent necrosis due to levarterenol [8] and Jordan first showed the effectiveness of this drug for accidental epinephrine injection [9]. Glad you are okay! Most people understand that an Epipen contains epinephrine. In the event of accidental injection, you should always seek medical attention. Thus far Ive been lucky. It will also reduce swelling of the face and respiratory system. Have you ever had to deal with an accidental epinephrine injection? He specializes in orthopedic surgery, cancer treatment, and general surgical procedures. They will advise you on next steps to ensure your safety. You should take special care not to walk through puddles of water when out of doors, otherwise you might get hurt from the electrical current flowing through the ground. B12 injections or vaccinations), theres a sharp sting as the needle punctures the skin. 12/13/17 AT 5:36 PM EST. Springer Nature. Finally, wash your hands after using the restroom; this is where you're likely to spread germs. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 1 What happens if you accidentally get stabbed with an EpiPen? 3. Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Do not use liquid medications that are cloudy or have changed color Calculate the . A physician in a Family Practice training program accidentally injected epinephrine into his left thumb while reading the operating instructions of an autoinjector (Epipen). What happens to atoms during chemical reaction? Make sure you alert someone around you. If you are unsure when would be appropriate time to administer your EpiPen, please contact your allergist or the EpiPen prescriber. Florida woman accused of drunkenly stabbing sister with EpiPen, says Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, works by relaxing the muscles of the airways and constricting the blood vessels -- buying people time to get to the emergency room for treatment. :). You might feel anxious. Then theres a deep ache as the medicine is released into the muscle. report some recovery [6]. It's painful so I cant type that much. PubMed As expected, none caused an immediate response; however, after 8 hours, the thumb was pink and warm. What happens if you take an EpiPen without needing it? Why did a physician put his thumb over the EpiPen? Many patients also need more than one dose of epinephrine or other emergency treatments. Even little electric shocks traumatize and cause discomfort in the body. How long does a shock last in the human body? When I stabbed my thigh with the black tip one I guess I got the colors mixed up and thought the black tipped pen was the practice one. The Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters guidelines recommend that patients at risk carry two epipens at all times (or any auto injector). Mehr S, Robinson M, Tang M: Doctor - how do I use my EpiPen?. It's best to contact your healthcare provider right away after an accidental injection. Swing the pen back about 6 inches and firmly push it against their thigh . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In order for epinephrine to work properly, it must be injected into the thigh muscle. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 2 What common mistake can happen when using an EpiPen? Most accidental injections (an estimated 94%) occur when a patient or someone trying to help them accidentally jabs their finger or thumb[2]. Subcutaneous injection of terbutaline to reverse vasospasm has been reported once [7]. 1999, 1: 34-36. I looked down at the epipen itself and saw there was a needle. The drug wasn't supposed to be inside of the EpiPen an 11-year-old boy stabbed himself with during health class. Doctor Ricky Brown breaks down the best things you can do to avoid an accidental stab with an Epipen so you don't accidentally stick yourself and overdose on. If epinephrine is injected into small areas such as fingers and hands by mistake, blood vessels will constrict at the site of injection. If youre at home, a friends house, or at a party, make sure you tell someone that youve injected yourself with an Epipen. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Use a sterile material to dry the wound and immediately cover the wound with a waterproof plaster or dressing. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. How to Market Your Business with Webinars. If you get an artificially high dose (milligrams rather than tenths of a milligram) it can kill you. Hand. What happens if you inject EpiPen by accident? What should you do Once injected epinephrine will: Enhance your breathing, quicken your heart, and raise blood pressure. 9 What happens if you accidentally inject epinephrine into your thumb? If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 2023 Nutricia North America. Treatment of severe anaphylaxis with epinephrine autoinjector devices such as Epipen (or Anapen) and Epipen Jr has been available since 1980. 3). Just how much does an EpiPen hurt? Article As Teddy expected, Cristina began to work too quickly and wasn't careful with the instruments. Accidental Injections of Epinephrine (EpiPen). However, this is the worst-case situation. Accidentally injecting EpiPen into your hands or feet may result in a loss of blood flow to those areas, and resulting numbness. Your blood pressure will rise. Young people are also more likely to have their fingers near the injection site when they use drugs intramuscularly (in their muscles). 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. You will need to receive further treatment and observation. Dry and cover the wound. J Med Case Reports 3, 7268 (2009). If I start to feel nausea and my stomach hurts or I get rashes and a headache, should I use an epipen? This is an Open Access article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( B12 injections or vaccinations), theres a sharp sting as the needle punctures the skin. What is the difference between EpiPen doses? All health professionals concerned with the use of epinephrine autoinjectors should receive adequate instruction on their use. She ended up stabbing Alex (Justin Chambers) with a syringe full of epinephrine, which caused him to collapse. An unintentional injection into the hands or feet might reduce blood supply to these tissues, potentially resulting in tissue death. After 20-30 minutes the blotchiness has faded and my leg felt a bit better. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. Epinephrine (Injection Route) Proper Use - Mayo Clinic 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. Department of Ambulatory Care and Community Medicine, University of Lausanne, Bugnon 44, 1011, Lausanne-CHUV, Switzerland, Christian Mathez,Bernard Favrat&Philippe Staeger, You can also search for this author in An accidental injection to the hands or feet can impair blood flow to these areas and can potentially cause tissue death. The sharp sting will hurt but lasts less than 10 seconds. Only once with the lancet, but more than a couple of times with the syringe after a shot--just the other day I dropped a loaded syringe as I took it out of the vial and it hit me in the thigh on the way down stung like a ***** but no ill effects. The school district said it is investigating the incident and are reviewing school-wide procedures to make sure something similar does not happen again. What happens if you inject an EpiPen when you dont need it? If you alone call your local doctors office or allergist its never a bad idea to let them know the mistake. I first got my epipen back in 2006 and it was the same ones that I had at my house. Treatment included topical nitroglycerin, oral vasodilators and warming of the thumb. What happens if you accidentally use an epipen? Use an Auto-Injector only once, then throw away in a puncture-proof container (ask your pharmacist where . Kaspersen J, Vedsted P: [Accidental injection of adrenaline in a finger with EpiPen]. When to seek help You should always seek prompt medical attention if you cut yourself and observe any of the following: you cant stop the bleeding. 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. 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. PubMed Remind them to be careful! Unintentional injection of epinephrine can easily occur when handling epinephrine auto-injectors. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. This is important to know if you normally have high blood pressure. I then did the only thing I could think of and yelled for my mom who was in the living room. Please Introduce Yourself: 1, 888 : Travel: 1, 400 : Restaurants: 1, 210 : Recipes and Cooking: 826 . Even though they are labeled I still get worried and have to look closely. Symptoms of an accidental injection are not usually so severe and may include: temporary numbness or tingling. Does it matter where you stick an EpiPen? If they aren't able to take it back, they can probably point you towards somewhere that you can bring it to for disposal. What happens if I accidentally stab myself with an epipen? Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Luckily, the doctors performed emergency procedures and were able to restart it. When she didnt respond I said it was an emergency. The big problem is that it is psychologically difficult to stab yourself with the strength and follow-through that are necessary to drive the blade in all the way. If your Epipen was used by you or a family member on accident make sure its stored in the correct place. Topical nitroglycerin, oral vasodilators, and immersion in warm water were attempted unsuccessfully. What may seem like a simple cut can, in fact, be a deep stab laceration. Little electric shocks can cause injury or disease if you come into contact with them directly. statement and So we told him "Well, don't hit yourself so hard with it, honey!" and chuckled. WALTHAM, Massachusetts -- Some scary moments unfolded after an 11-year-old accidentally stabbed himself with a real EpiPen during a health class lesson. Almost immediately, I could tell something was off, not because it hurt but because it felt different than normal. 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. Clean any accidental sticks right away.