One of the nation’s leading allergy organizations urged a Texas school system to reconsider its decision to stock diphenhydramine (Benadryl) instead of epinephrine for treating children’s allergic reactions.
In a press release issued late Wednesday, American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI) president Todd Mahr, MD, said the move by the Dallas-area Weatherford Independent School District “puts the lives of students in that school district at risk.”
Weatherford officials adopted the so-called “Benadryl Protocol” in response to recent policy changes from the Texas Department of State Health Services, which require trained personnel available to administer “unassigned” epinephrine autoinjectors during school hours, the Weatherford Democrat reported.
In an interview with MedPage Today, Mahr said the decision sets a dangerous precedent. “My biggest fear is that if they will put this into effect and they will have a child die from food allergies,” he said.
