
Anaphylaxis and Severe Allergic Reaction
This Factsheet has been written to provide information on severe allergic reactions which have an immediate or rapid type onset...
Adrenaline auto injectors are prescribed to people with allergies who are at risk of having a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
This Factsheet has been developed to highlight the importance of carrying your adrenaline auto injector. It will also cover the different types and brands of adrenaline auto injectors available in the UK as well as how to care for your adrenaline auto injector.
Adrenaline Auto-Injector devices (AAIs), also known as adrenaline pens, are prescribed to people with allergies who are at risk of having a severe allergic reaction (known as ‘anaphylaxis’). Your GP or allergy doctor will ask you questions as part of their allergy focused clinical history, and determine your individual risk, based on several factors in determining whether to prescribe you with an AAI device.
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If you have been prescribed an AAI, make sure you carry it with you at all times. Do not rely on someone else picking it up for you, or there being one available. Age appropriate education tailored to children on looking after their AAI is a positive way of teaching the importance of carrying one at all times.
Your GP or allergy doctor should discuss with you how to recognise the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction, and how to use your AAI device. Having family, friends, teachers and colleagues that also know how and when to give you your AAI device is important, should you be unable to do this yourself.
There are two types of AAIs available in the UK, these are called Epi-Pen and Jext. They both contain the same type of medication called ‘adrenaline’ (also referred to as ‘epinephrine’) which is given by injection, into the outer midthigh muscle. AAIs are prescription only medicines, and need to be prescribed by a healthcare professional –usually your GP or allergy specialist. The dose of adrenaline required is dependent on the age and weight of the person requiring the AAI device, and will be prescribed by the doctor. It is important that AAIs prescribed for children are reviewed as they get older and increase in weight to ensure they have the correct dose. Each AAI device will differ in appearance and the availability of the dose/strength available in that particular brand.
Key message: Training is important as each AAI is given differently, so it is important that you are shown how to use your AAI device. Having a trainer device is a useful tool for practicing how to use your AAI and to teach others how to use it, as this varies from brand to brand.
It is recommended that you carry two AAIs at all times, this is particularly important for people who have allergic asthma and a food allergy as they are at an increased risk of a severe allergic reaction.1
Having an Allergy Action Plan (a written set of instructions and information specific to the individuals allergy and treatment plan) is advisable. A paediatric (child) Action Plan is available for the different types of AAI devices and also for those not requiring an AAI. These can be downloaded, printed and completed by your doctor from the BSACI website.
The brands of AAIs available in the UK are:
AAI Brand | Company |
Epi-Pen www.epipen.co.uk | Mylan |
Jext www.jext.co.uk | ALK-ABELLO UK |
Store in a cool dark place at room temperature, kept out of direct sunlight and out of the way of extreme temperatures, for example a fridge, or glove box in a car on a hot day.
Taking care of your AAI injector:
Having two AAIs is beneficial for multiple situations, including: