Jab a life-saver for allergy victims

Professor Hugh Sampson says allergy sufferers such as Emma-Jayne Turner should carry an EpiPen. Picture / Brett Phibbs

People who are allergic to peanuts should carry a specialised, one-shot injection of adrenalin in case they suffer a life-threatening reaction, says an allergy expert.

But the so-called EpiPen auto-injectors cost about $150 each, are not state-subsidised and are used by less than a tenth of the estimated 60,000 New Zealanders with an allergy to peanuts.

Adrenalin can save the life of a person suffering anaphylactic shock - a rare but severe allergic reaction marked by constriction of the airways and a drastic lowering of blood pressure.

Hugh Sampson, professor of paediatrics and immunobiology at Mt Sinai Medical School in New York, said in Auckland last week that he urged all peanut allergy sufferers to carry an EpiPen because peanuts were the commonest cause of killer allergic reactions to food.

"Put peanuts and tree-nuts [like walnuts] together and that's about 90 per cent of deaths due to food allergy in the United States."

And the fatal reactions were unpredictable. "Looking at individuals who have a fatal reaction, only 20 per cent ever had a severe reaction prior to the fatal event."

On US statistics, he estimated that up to 1500 people in New Zealand a year would suffer anaphylactic reactions and 10 would die.

Auckland allergy specialist Dr Vincent Crump said New Zealand held no statistics and estimating from US figures was valid.

Professor Sampson said adults and some teenagers could carry the device with them at all times. Other teenagers and children could have one sent with them to be used, for example, by a teacher at school.

"A lot of families will have several EpiPens."

But this is not always an option for Nelson 16-year-old Emma-Jayne Turner, who lives with multiple allergies, including to nuts, and has suffered seven anaphylactic reactions.

EpiPens have a shelf-life of about a year and hers passed the expiry date in June.

Her mother, Wendi Turner, said the family of three children aged 9 to 19 and two parents could not always afford to buy EpiPens, but hoped to get new supplies soon.

If Emma-Jayne had a reaction, she needed two EpiPens. She had had three reactions in one year - but none in other years, meaning the "pens" expired unused.

Currently, she is carrying a syringe and a tiny ampoule of adrenalin, which is much cheaper because of Pharmac funding, but said they restricted her life more.

Compared with a syringe, the EpiPen was easy to use - it could be jabbed straight into the thigh, even through clothes.