ALLERGY ALERT: SBUMC PHYSICIAN INSTRUCTS KIDS ON PEANUT ALLERGIES, EPIPEN USE
3/9/2010
Dr. Anthony Szema, Head of the Allergy Diagnostic Unit at Stony Brook University Medical Center, instructed a spirited group of second graders on food and seasonal allergies during "Health Day" at Eugene Auer Memorial Elementary School in Lake Grove, N.Y.
Dr. Szema said the second graders were curious, eager to learn, and asked many questions about allergies in general and particularly peanut allergies. During the classroom discussion he taught them how to use an EpiPen, the most common medical device used to treat acute allergic reactions. He also taught the students about the use of medic alert bracelets and why avoiding sharing food is a safe and healthy thing to do while at school and at any time.
Throughout the day, second graders and other students at the school took part in Health Day by learning about other aspects of health as it relates to schoolmates and their environment. The session with Dr. Szema spurred their interest in the variety of allergies that children may develop.
At the SBUMC Allergy Diagnostic Unit, Dr. Szema performs skin prick testing for food allergies and seasonal allergens. On March 24 at the Long Island State Veterans Home in Stony Brook, he will present a lecture/discussion about pediatric allergy and immunology for parents and children.
