A study of 102 patients enrolled from adult and pediatric clinics showed that only 16% used their epinephrine auto-injectors correctly. Of the remaining 84%, more than half missed 3 or more steps for proper administration.
The most common errors included:
- Failure to hold the unit in place for at least 10 seconds after triggering
- Failure to place the needle end of the device on the thigh, and
- Failure to depress the device forcefully enough to activate the injection.
The study, supported by a grant from Oliver Center for Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare at the University of Texas Medical Branch, also concluded that only 7% of 44 users of Metered Dose Inhalers (MDI) for asthma displayed proper technique, with 63% of the remainder missing 3 or more steps for proper administration.
If you’ve been prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector or care for someone who has, we urge you to periodically review the training video for your particular device(s). Here follows links to the videos for the most popular devices:
- Adrenaclick® Training Video
- Auvi-Q® Training Video
- Epipen® Training Video
- Generic Auto-injector Training Video
We also encourage you to review training documentation for your brand of MDI if you or a family member were prescribed one.
And remember to always take 2 auto-injectors along, everywhere, every time! (Click the graphic below for a series of flyers from our Take 2 Campaign and hang them at home and school!)
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