title: Audit of nurse-led-training for epipen in a District General Hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A community-based study in the London Borough of Hounslow, which included patients in our District General Hospital (DGH) Paediatric Department, found that most families who had been prescribed adrenaline auto-injectors could not use them properly. This prompted the establishment of a new protocol for doctors and an Allergy Clinic where one nurse was responsible for training all patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This audit was done to reassess this service 3 years after the changes were made.
  
  
  METHODS
  68 of the 81 (83%) patients followed up in our District General Hospital Nurse led Allergy Clinic agreed to participate. They were compared with the District General Hospital sub-group of the previous study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that most patients now reported they were trained to use the devise, had written instructions, were able to demonstrate competence on a dummy and would appropriately call an ambulance. This was significantly better than the previous situation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study shows that training can be improved in a DGH setting with the strategy of protocolised prescribing and a Nurse led Allergy Clinic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, West Middlesex University Hospital, Twickenham Road, Isleworth, Middlesex, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ratnaweera
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: von Trilsbach
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rangasami
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Puliyel
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006767:Hospitals, District; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008131:London; D008485:Medical Audit; D009726:Nurses; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods