An increase in medical emergency calls prompted
the MTSU Police Department to recently begin equipping patrol officers with Anaphylaxis
Emergency Kits, or AEKs, that contain EpiPens.
These kits contain EpiPen epinephrine auto-injectors in two
different dose sizes: one for small children and another for adults. The pens
are used to combat allergic reactions that could become fatal.
MTSU Police has responded to 192 medical emergency calls this year,
totaling nearly 20 percent of all calls for service received, according to a
news release.
The AEKs will be utilized during calls
that involve life-threatening cases of anaphylaxis, which is a sudden and
severe allergic reaction that can cause a swelling of the tongue or throat,
shortness of breath, vomiting, low blood pressure and an itchy rash.
“When it comes to medical emergencies, especially those where a
student on campus may be having a sudden allergic reaction to something they
ate and now they can’t breathe, time is very important,” MTSU Police Chief
Buddy Peaster said in regards to deployment of these AEKs.
“We decided that it was important to equip our officers with these
kits so that they could provide more help during these kinds of medical
emergencies.”
The MTSU Police Department provides full-time law enforcement
services for the entire Middle Tennessee State University campus and campus
community. Follow the department on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram,
@MTSUPolice.
For more information, call Officer Patrick Fajardo at 615-898-2424
or email Patrick.Fajardo@mtsu.edu.
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