So we are camping over christmas with a large group of friends by the river at the busy but isolated
Talbotville camping area.
Starting to head off to bed when someone comes running past all the campers yelling out "EPI-PEN EPI-PEN".
I know nothing about medical stuff but will describe the situation as best I can !
EPI-PEN is a self medicated injection used in emergencies to buy time to get to hospital, usually used for allergic reactions to bites allergies peanuts etc.
So this guy was pretty agitated , believing his wife was having an allergic reaction to
spider bite and she had discovered that she had left her
medication including her EPI-PEN at
home.
She had taken anti-histimenes (apparently this relieves some mild reactions).
They did nothing, I think she had already got something stronger from another camper and it also wasn't working.
Realizing it would take 2-3 hours to get to a hospital panic set in.
It turns out my friend always carried an EPI-PEN and has occasionaly used it himself or for kids in an emergency.
Question is , do you give someone else your medication , espically something as severe as this injection ?
What if you or kids needed it in an emergency - which is why you carried it when hours from help.
There could also be ethical/legal implications.
Net effect is you don't give it out lightly !
With some reluctance the EPI-PEN was handed over and used , it was now about 11pm and patient was driven off to nearset town (
Dargo) which has a clinic.
Apon arrival in
Dargo around midnight, everything was closed and so patient made an emergency call.
As soon as operator realized an Epi-Pen was used an ambulance was dispatched and a helicopter was also dispatched from nearset city to
Dargo.
The ambulance arrived first and patient was stabilized and taken to hospital and recovered over a couple of days.
P.S.
The patient did the right thing and ensured the expensive EPI-PEN was promtly replaced and delivered to my friends
campsite.