Comment from James Gern
James GernSupportAcademic
Summary: An allergist supports the petition to include pre-measured epinephrine in emergency medical kits on commercial aircraft. The commenter argues that ready-to-use epinephrine is critical for treating life-threatening anaphylaxis during flights and cites a tragic case of a child's death due to a food allergy.
I strongly support the petition from the Youth Food Allergy Policy Coalition to the FAA requesting to include pre-measured epinephrine (including auto-injectorsandnasal sprays) in Emergency Medical Kits on U.S. commercial aircraft. As an allergist, I know that anaphylaxis is a life-threatening emergency that can occur unexpectedly during flight. For individuals with food allergies, ready-to-use epinephrine will save critical time during life-threatening emergencies. Being unprepared for anaphylaxis on flights leads to needless tragedies. I know of one case in which a young girl at a pastry on a flight which, unknown to her, contained sesame. The flight was over the English channel, and unfortunately, she died before the plan landed. This simple preparative step could help to avoid emergencies and deaths in the future.