London Free Press - Local News - Cellphone alerts help kids with allergies

London Free Press - Local News - Cellphone alerts help kids with allergies




Cellphone alerts help kids with allergies

Mon, May 8, 2006

New program being piloted in some London schools

By KATE DUBINSKI, LONDON FREE PRESS EDUCATION REPORTER



As soon as Jenna Landry, 14, presses a button on her cellphone, her school knows she’s gone into anaphylactic shock.

She calmly tells the operator that she’s at the back of the library. Simultaneously, at her school’s office, her picture and medical profile comes up, alerting staff to call an ambulance to St. Marguerite D’Youville school in North London.

When an ambulance arrives, paramedics are handed a printout of Jenna’s medical history and her allergies.

On Monday, it was just a drill, part of a project being piloted in several Catholic and public schools in the London area that will see kids testing out an Elloqor solutions inc. medical-alert system, one of the first of its kind in Canada.

The kids that try out the system will not have serious medical conditions.

“We thought, why don’t we use the technology in a manner that (kids’) safety will be ensured,” said Joe Rapai, the London District Catholic school board’s director of education.

The London board is the first Catholic board in Canada to be piloting the project. The Thames Valley District school board is also testing the emergency-alerting system in some of its schools.

“I think it’s really cool,” said Grade 8 student Ashley Catala, who has a severe allergy to peanuts.

“The only time I’ve had a reaction was when I was very little, but you always wonder what you’d do if it did happen ... This seems simple.”

The idea is to get kids with high-risk medical conditions connected faster to first responders, and to give paramedics and doctors as much information as possible to help the child.

When a child hits the pre-programmed button on their cell phone, the company’s emergency-response centre, located in Richmond Hill, is alerted. An operator confirms the emergency and stays on the line with the patient while 911 is called.

Elloqor's technology then sends an audio alarm to designated computers in the school office, along with the child’s picture and medical information. Members of the in-school emergency response team go to the child’s location after getting alerted by text message.

Parents are also alerted, either through telephone or by e-mail.

The Elloqor solutions inc. medaware software system costs each school $1,000, plus training for staff. The cost for parents is $14.99, and can be used from any cellphone that can make outgoing calls.

Because the child’s medical history, and any other relevant information, pops up on the computer screens at the school, paramedics have detailed information about the patient they’re picking up.

The system is being piloted at three Catholic schools and several at the public board.

Even though students with allergies may have the Elloqor solutions inc. system, they should still carry their EpiPens and administer their epinephrine as directed by their doctor.

About 2 per cent of kids in Canada have severe allergic reactions that can be fatal.

Anaphylaxis symptoms include hives, swelling of the tongue and trouble breathing.

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