Children and youth with asthma that also have life-threatening allergies, such as anaphylaxis, are at a much greater risk of having a severe and fatal reaction. Understanding the signs and symptoms of asthma and anaphylaxis are necessary to manage serious and life-threatening reactions.
Refer to child’s/youth’s Plan of Care form, which contains information about life-threatening allergies and asthma. Know what causes their anaphylaxis, the signs and symptoms of a reaction, and how to manage the reaction. Refer to your school board’s/child care centre's Anaphylaxis Policy for more information regarding the prevention and management of life-threatening allergies. If a child/youth has both asthma and anaphylaxis and is experiencing a life-threatening reaction, an epinephrine auto-injector (e.g., EpiPen, Twinject) should be easily accessible and used before using the reliever inhaler.