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The study abstract, "National School Nurse Survey of Epinephrine Use in Schools," will be presented on Sunday, Sept. 17, at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2017 National Conference & Exhibition in Chicago. For the study, more than 1,200 school nurses completed an electronic survey about the use of epinephrine in schools as emergency treatment for anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, during the 2014-15. Nearly one-quarter (23.9 percent) of participants reported epinephrine being administered in their school during the past year. In total, out of the 482 administrations of epinephrine reported, 16.2 percent were by unlicensed staff or students. In addition, researchers said, 33.6 percent of administrations were to students who did not have an allergy known to the school. The survey also found that 10.8 percent of students having a severe allergic reaction required more than one dose of epinephrine before emergency medical responders arrived. "The finding...

The study abstract, "Assessing Health Status and Housing Quality of Families Living in Model Subdivisions (Colonias) of the Rio Grande Valley," will be presented on Sunday, Sept. 17, at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2017 National Conference & Exhibition in Chicago. "Colonias" are unincorporated, residential model subdivisions that can be found along the U.S.-Mexico border. Researchers conducted 63 surveys of these communities and conducted home visits to understand and document the experiences and conditions of families living there. Colonia dwellers are nearly exclusively of Hispanic ethnicity, the majority of whom are U.S. citizens, though mixed status families are common. There are many children growing up in these homes with nearly half (46 percent) of families in severely overcrowded environments. The neighborhoods had poor infrastructure including lack of water, electricity, paved roads, streetlights, adequate sewage, wastewater treatment, and tr...