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UVic equips security with EpiPens in case of anaphylaxis

When Kylie Lauzon arrived from California to attend UVic one of her toughest struggles was navigating unfamiliar Canadian food brands to avoid triggering allergic reactions.
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University of Victoria students write their final Christmas exams at McKinnon Gym. On campus, some students struggle to navigate around foods that can trigger allergic reactions. For them, it's comforting to know that UVic campus security staff carry EpiPens and are trained to recognize signs of anaphylaxis.

When Kylie Lauzon arrived from California to attend UVic one of her toughest struggles was navigating unfamiliar Canadian food brands to avoid triggering allergic reactions.

Lauzon, a third-year English major at the University of Victoria, deals with allergies to many foods. At least three of those foods can trigger life-threatening anaphylaxis: nuts, soy products and sesame seeds.

“I’m a very habitual eater and it can be scary eating in places I haven’t been before,” Lauzon said. “Living on campus was difficult because food options were limited and I didn’t even know what was in the foods.”

So it’s reassuring for the dual citizen to learn UVic campus security staff all carry epinephrine and are trained to administer it and in how to recognize signs of anaphylaxis.

“If I have a reaction, the average person probably won’t even know what’s going on,” she said. “So it’s comforting to know there is always going to be an EpiPen handy.”

UVic has never had anyone die or suffer serious consequences as a result of an anaphylactic reaction to food.

But in 2015 a first-year student at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., went into anaphylactic shock and died.

For people who have severe allergies the onset can be rapid and involve symptoms like itching and rash on the skin, swelling around the eyes, lips and tongue, difficulty breathing and increased heart rate.

The most common treatment is epinephrine. Nicole Fetterly, a registered dietitian with UVic food services, said about seven per cent of the population deals with food allergies. For a small number, the allergies induce severe reactions.

Health Canada requires food labels to list the 10 most common allergens if they are present: peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, fish, shellfish, soy, wheat, mustard and sesame.

But Fetterly said one of the worst dangers for people with allergies is cross-contamination with an allergen.

“A lot of people end up having a reaction not because they knowingly ingested something but because they unknowingly ingested something,” she said.

When considering the safest way to protect UVic students, staff and faculty it was decided the best campus security would be best equipped to handle emergencies. They are often the first to be called, and are trained in occupational first aid.

Tom Downie, director of campus security, said his department answers about 450 medical emergencies every year, from stomach cramps to heart attacks.

Each staff car is stocked with medical emergency gear including heart defibrillators, nalaxone and this year EpiPens were added.

Downie said his department aims to respond to a crisis on campus within three minutes.

Protocol has been arranged for working with off-campus paramedics, police and firefighters to guide them through UVic’s approximately 70 buildings.

One campus officer goes to the scene and another waits at an agreed muster site for emergency responders to guide them.

“We’ve handled everything from upset stomachs to cardiac arrests,” Downie said.

“We always tell people if they are in trouble phone 911 and, if they can, phone campus security right after.”

rwatts@timescolonist.com