What happens if epipen freezes

While it is still recommended to keep epinephrine within a room temperature range, the studies suggest that freezing and limited heat excursions may not result in degradation of the medication. Sharma is an allergist, clinical researcher and associate professor of pediatrics. Questions submitted will be considered for answer in the e-magazine.

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Julie Brown. She specializes in pediatrics at Seattle Children's Hospital. Such research is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. Anne Ellis, chair of the ACAAI anaphylaxis committee, said, "It's important for those who have severe, life-threatening reactions to their allergies to have confidence in the [EpiPens] they carry and know they'll work in an emergency.

This study showed that even when an [EpiPen] has been unintentionally frozen, the risk is low that it will malfunction. It will not be harmful, but be aware it may not be as effective. As always, if you have anaphylaxis , use your epinephrine and call Ask your allergist if you have any questions about how to use or care for your epinephrine auto-injector. Parish, H. A systematic review of epinephrine degradation with exposure to excessive heat or cold.

Once the frozen devices were thawed, they and their controls were injected into meat. The meat and devices were weighed both before and after firing. The change in meat weight and device weight was similar between frozen-thawed devices and their controls, indicating that freezing did not affect how the EAIs functioned once they were thawed. The study found even a single, short-time exposure to heat in a car during a sunny day can decrease epinephrine concentration in autoinjectors.

If such degradation turns out to be progressive or cumulative, it could result in significant underdosage of epinephrine during anaphylaxis.

I'd like to suggest a similar study on how time affects this drug. Specifically, how far past the expiration date is still okay? There are already two studies that have examined this issue: Simons FE, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. To treat anaphylaxis, backcountry recreationalists and guides commonly carry epinephrine autoinjectors. Epinephrine may be exposed to cold temperatures and freezing during expeditions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether freeze-thaw cycles alter epinephrine concentrations in autoinjectors labeled to contain 1.

A further objective was to determine whether samples continued to meet United States Pharmacopeia concentration standards after freeze-thaw cycles.