Seizure Recognition and First Aid Certification (On Demand) (90 min)

https://learn.epilepsy.com/courses/seizure-first-aid-cert-ondemand

• 90 minutes
• Access from anywhere (Online) and Access Anytime (On Demand)
• Certificate of Completion
• IACET Continuing Education Unit (CEU) and CHES®/MCHES® Continuing Education Credits
• 2-year certification

The Seizure Recognition and First Aid Certification (On-Demand) course formally educates the public on the Epilepsy Foundation’s approved procedures for recognizing seizures and responding to someone having a seizure.

This course aims to increase the knowledge, skill, and confidence in applying seizure first aid. This information is presented in an interactive eLearning format with animations, videos, and activities to enhance the learning experience. 

This course was designed for direct training of the public. Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a two-year certification.

Participants will be able to meet the following learning objectives:

• Define seizures and epilepsy
• Identify correct and incorrect steps for helping a person having a seizure
• Identify when it would be necessary to call emergency personnel (911) in the event of a seizure

Certificación de reconocimiento de crisis epilépticas y primeros auxilios (a demanda) - V 1.0

https://aprende.epilepsy.com/courses/cert-crisis-epil-ademanda-v1

• 90 Minutos
• Acceda desde cualquier lugar (en línea)
• Certificado de finalización
• Créditos de formación continua disponibles de IACET/CHES®/MCHES®
• Certificación de 2 años

El curso «Certificación de reconocimiento de crisis epilépticas y primeros auxilios» ofrece formación al público general sobre los protocolos aprobados por la Fundación para la Epilepsia para reconocer las crisis epilépticas y ofrecer ayuda a las personas que la sufren.

Este curso tiene como objetivo aumentar el conocimiento, la habilidad y la confianza personal para la aplicación de los primeros auxilios durante las crisis epilépticas. Los procedimientos de primeros auxilios explicados en la guía se basan en las investigaciones más recientes y han sido adaptados para la formación en vivo. Los participantes que completen con éxito el curso recibirán una certificación con validez de dos años.

Los participantes podrán cumplir los siguientes objetivos de aprendizaje:

• Definir las crisis epilépticas y la epilepsia.
• Identificar los pasos correctos e incorrectos para ayudar a una persona que sufre una crisis epiléptica.
• Identificar cuándo sería necesario llamar al personal de urgencia (911) en caso de una crisis epiléptica.

Recognizing & Responding to Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis can happen at any time. Make sure you're prepared to save a life by taking this free course.

Recognizing & Responding to Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis (pronounced an-uh-fil-LAX-is) is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. Symptoms can affect several areas of the body, including breathing and blood circulation.

Food allergy is the most common cause of anaphylaxis, although several other allergens—such as insect stings, medications or latex—can be potential triggers. Rarely, anaphylaxis is caused by exercise. Another uncommon form can occur when a person exercises soon after eating a problem food. 

Register Now

This course is now available through the Food Allergy Academy, FARE’s new learning management system. Click here for the registration page for the Food Allergy Academy platform, and then once you have registered you can search for the training course or content you are looking for.

 If you are in Minnesota, please take the Minnesota specific version of this course.

Register Now

Epinephrine in public venues

States that allow public venues to keep undesignated epinephrine on hand for use in an emergency require these venues to have staff trained in how to recognize and respond to anaphylaxis. 

• In Minnesota, FARE's Save a Life: Recognizing and Responding to Anaphylaxis (Minnesota Specific) is approved to meet these requirements.

Both versions of the course may be accessed for free in FARE's Food Allergy Academy.

Indemnity and Liability Concerns

States with these laws in place include indemnity protection for everyone from the public entity and staff to prescribers. 

To learn more about the legislation in your state, click here. 

Food Allergies: What You Need to Know

From the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website on 10.25.2024 to ensure the most up to date information please verify the information by going to the Food Allergies | FDA

Download in PDF (1.3 MB)

en español

Although new treatments are being developed, there is no cure for food allergies. Medical diagnosis to find out which foods cause an individual to have an allergic reaction and strictly avoiding those foods are important ways to prevent serious adverse health effects.

What Are Major Food Allergens?

While many different foods can cause allergic reactions, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) identified eight foods as major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans.

On April 23, 2021, the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act was signed into law, declaring sesame as the 9th major food allergen recognized by the United States. The change was effective on January 1, 2023. Even though the requirement that sesame be listed on the label as an allergen is in effect as of January 1, 2023, you still may find food products for sale that don’t list sesame as an allergen on the label. Read more about the transition phase at Allergic to Sesame? Food Labels Now Must List Sesame as an allergen.

1. Milk
2. Eggs
3. Fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod)
4. Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp)
5. Tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans)
6. Peanuts
7. Wheat
8. Soybeans
9. Sesame

Allergen Labeling

The FDA enforces FALCPA in the labeling of foods the agency regulates, which include all foods except poultry, most meats, certain egg products, and most alcoholic beverages (all of which are regulated by other Federal agencies). FALCPA requires that food labels clearly identify the food source names of any ingredients that are one of the eight major food allergens or contain protein derived from a major food allergen. Proper labeling of foods helps allergic consumers identify foods or ingredients that they should avoid.

How Major Food Allergens Are Listed

FALCPA requires that food labels identify the food source names of all major food allergens used to make the food. This requirement is met if the common or usual name of an ingredient (e.g., buttermilk) that is a major food allergen already identifies that allergen’s food source name (i.e., milk). Otherwise, the allergen’s food source name must be declared at least once on the food label in one of two ways:

1. In parentheses following the name of the ingredient in the ingredient list.
   Examples: “lecithin (soy),” “flour (wheat),” and “whey (milk)”

   — OR —

2. Immediately after or next to the list of ingredients in a “contains” statement.
   Example: “Contains Wheat, Milk, and Soy.”

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Know the Symptoms of Food Allergies

If you are allergic to a food you have eaten, you may experience a variety of symptoms. These symptoms are not always present or the same for every person or reaction and can vary depending on a number of actors, including the amount of food allergen eaten.

If you are allergic to a food that you have eaten, symptoms may appear from within a few minutes to a few hours.

Symptoms of food allergies (allergic reactions), can include:

• Hives
• Flushed skin or rash
• Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth
• Face, tongue, or lip swelling
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Abdominal cramps
• Coughing or wheezing
• Dizziness and/or lightheadedness
• Swelling of the throat and vocal cords
• Difficulty breathing
• Loss of consciousness

Food Allergies Can Be Life-Threatening

While most symptoms from food allergies are mild and limited to skin or digestive discomfort, some may progress to a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.

This can lead to:

• constricted airways in the lungs
• severe lowering of blood pressure and shock (“anaphylactic shock”)
• suffocation by swelling of the throat and larynx

If you have a known food allergy and start having symptoms of an allergic reaction:

• Stop eating the food immediately
• Evaluate the need for emergency treatment (such as epinephrine)
• Seek medical attention

Symptoms of anaphylaxis may start out as relatively mild but, if not treated promptly, symptoms can become life-threatening in a short amount of time.

Recognizing early symptoms of anaphylaxis and prompt injection of the drug epinephrine and other medical care or intervention can help prevent life-threatening consequences.

It is important to understand that a mild allergic reaction does not always mean the allergy is mild. Any allergic reaction has potential to lead to anaphylaxis. Allergic individuals are taught to always monitor symptoms and seek medical care if needed when symptoms occur.

What to Do If Symptoms Occur

The appearance of symptoms after eating certain foods may be a sign of a food allergy. The food(s) that caused these symptoms should be avoided, and the affected person should contact a health care provider for appropriate testing and evaluation.

If you or a loved one has food allergies, use these 4 tips to help reduce your risk of getting sick:

1. Always read food labels.
2. Avoid foods that you are allergic to.
3. Learn to recognize the early symptoms of an allergic reaction, in case of accidental ingestion.
4. Know what to do in case an allergic reaction occurs. Plan to have ready access to the appropriate treatment measures and medical care.

Information From Other Federal Agencies

• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - Food Allergy
• CDC Healthy Schools - Food Allergies
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service - Food Allergies: The “Big 9”

Prevent Cross-Contact 

If you keep both “safe” and “unsafe” foods/products in your Classroom, take steps prevent cross-contact:

• Teach everyone to wash their hands with soap and water before touching safe foods/products. This is good hygiene and reduces that chance of cross-contact if they have residue on their hands.
• Do not allow allergen-covered utensils to touch your “safe” foods/products. For example, if a knife used on butter gets inserted into a jar of jam, the jam now has milk proteins from the butter in it. If you spread butter on wheat bread toast and then dip your knife into the butter again, the butter may now contain small amounts of wheat.
• Teach everyone to clean all surfaces before and after preparing food. Countertops could have small amounts of allergens on them. Food prepared on an unclean countertop can result in cross-contact with allergens.
• If you are preparing both “safe” and “unsafe” food/activities;  prepare the safe meal/activity first then store.
• Do not use the same utensils or space to prepare food/activities for your child with food allergies and for other people who eat foods with their allergens.
• Place utensils, plates, and cutting boards directly into the sink or the dishwasher immediately after use. 
• If you use a grill/griddle/pan, be sure to fully clean it before preparing the food for the child with the allergen. Consider using foil or a separate pan for that child .

Take Care to Wash Dishes

Wash pans, utensils, and dishes in hot, sudsy water before using them to prepare food for someone with food allergies. Rinse off dirty dishes and utensils before loading them into your dishwasher. 

Reduce the Chance of Allergens in Other Areas of Your Classroom

Teach all members of your classroom to always wash their hands with soap and water immediately after touching or eating allergens. Consider having all members of the classroom eat food or do projects in one location of the classroom. This can limit food/allergens to areas that are easier to clean.

• Even if using wax/parchment/paper barriers still clean the table/counter after eating or using an allergen.
• Use of appropriate hand-washing procedures that emphasize soap and water or the use of commercial wipes are very effective in removing allergens.
• Plain water and hand sanitizers are not effective in removing food allergens.

Before you leave the pharmacy, make sure the pharmacy fills your prescription exactly as you expect.

• AUVI-Q
• EpiPen® and EpiPen Jr.®
• Epinephrine Injection, USP Auto-Injector, Authorized Generic (AG) of EpiPen® and EpiPen Jr®
• Epinephrine injection, USP auto-injector, generic
• Epinephrine Injection, USP Auto-Injector, Authorized Generic (AG) of Adrenaclick™
• neffy® Epinephrine Nasal Spray

 

AUVI-Q®

Product Name: AUVI-Q^®

auvi-q.com

Manufacturer: kaléo

Training videos

Available Strengths: 0.1 mg, 0.15 mg and 0.3 mg

Generic available: No

Includes trainer: Yes

Talking feature: Yes

Needle exposed after injection: No

Injection hold time:  2 seconds

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EpiPen® and EpiPen Jr®

Product Name: EpiPen^® and EpiPen Jr^®

epipen.com

Manufacturer: Mylan Inc., a VIATRIS™ company

Training videos

Available Strengths: 0.15 mg and 0.3 mg

Generic available: Yes, see below

Includes trainer: Yes

Talking feature: No

Needle exposed after injection: No

Injection hold time: 3 seconds

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Epinephrine Injection, USP Auto-Injector, Authorized Generic (AG) of EpiPen® and EpiPen Jr®

Product Name: Epinephrine injection, USP auto-injector, authorized generic (AG) of EpiPen® and EpiPen Jr®

 epipen.com/en/about-epipen-and-generic-what-is-an-authorized-generic

Manufacturer: Mylan Inc., a VIATRIS™ company

Training videos

Available Strengths: 0.15 mg and 0.3 mg

Generic available: N/A

Includes trainer: Yes

Talking feature: No

Needle exposed after injection: No

Injection hold time:  3 seconds

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Epinephrine Injection, USP Auto-Injector, Generic

Product Name: Epinephrine injection, USP auto-injector, generic

tevaephinephrine.com

Manufacturer: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

Training videos

Available Strengths: 0.15 mg and 0.3 mg

Generic available: N/A

Includes trainer: Yes

Talking feature: No

Needle exposed after injection: Yes

Injection hold time:  3 seconds

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Epinephrine Injection, USP Auto-Injector, Authorized Generic (AG) of Adrenaclick™

Product Name: Epinephrine injection, USP auto-injector, authorized generic (AG) of Adrenaclick™

epinephrineautoinject.com

Manufacturer: Distributed by Amneal Pharmaceuticals

Training videos

Available Strengths: 0.15 mg and 0.3 mg

Generic available: N/A

Includes trainer: Training devices are available for free via web or telephone

Talking feature: No

Needle exposed after injection: Yes

Injection hold time: 10 seconds

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Other Epinephrine Options

There are other options that do not auto-inject the epinephrine. Glass vials of epinephrine with needles/syringes may be in emergency kits as seen on airplanes. The first epinephrine nasal spray was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in August 2024. Other types of epinephrine devices are being developed and are going through clinical trials.

neffy® Epinephrine Nasal Spray (Available Mid- to Late-October 2024)

Product Name: neffy® epinephrine nasal spray

neffy.com

Manufacturer: ARS Pharmaceuticals

Training videos

Available Strengths: 2 mg for people 66 pounds (30 kilograms) and more

Generic available: N/A

Includes trainer: No

Talking feature: No

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What’s the Difference Between Brand Name, Generic, and Authorized Generic Drugs?

Brand name drugs: When a new medicine is created and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is marketed under a brand name. The company that makes it patents the drug. This means this company is the only company that has the right to make and market this drug for a certain number of years, as noted in the patent.

Generic drugs: When a drug patent expires, other companies can make generic versions of the medicine if it follows certain standards set by the FDA. The generic medicines must have the:

• Same active ingredient as the brand name drug
• Same benefits and risks as the brand name drug
• Same strength, dosage, and route of administration as the brand name drug
• Same quality and manufacturing standards as the brand name drug

Generic drugs may be different from brand name drugs in the following ways:

• May be made by the same company or by a different company
• Different look and size, including packaging
• Different inactive ingredients (side effects may vary from the brand name drug because of the inactive ingredients, but this is uncommon)
• Lower costs (most of the time but not always)

Authorized generic drugs: This type of generic medicine is the same as the brand name medicine but without the brand name label. It will have the same active and inactive ingredients as the brand name drug. Authorized generic medicines may also cost less.

If a generic or authorized generic version of a drug exists, health insurance companies may cover those instead of the brand name medicine. Generic drugs can offer the same treatment at a lower cost than brand name.

When it comes to medicines like asthma inhalers and epinephrine devices, the active ingredient and doses will be the same, but the device may look and operate differently. It is very important for you to learn how to use the device prescribed  even if it is the authorized generic of a brand name device.

Health and Safety: Concussion

Resources

 Concussion Management Recommendations for MSHSL Athletes

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MSHSL Concussion CER Module: This video was prepared by the Minnesota State High School League in 2023 for viewing by officials to attain eligible official status. It is nearly identical to the module prepared for MSHSL Coaches.​

This video is posted to provide an opportunity for those at Member Schools to view this information. ​

Coaches, officials or others will NOT receive credit or a certificate for viewing this video. Coaches must watch this module on their MSHSL Dashboard and officials must watch this module in Arbiter to receive credit. 

Learning Modules

The NFHS has teamed up with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to educate coaches, officials, parents and students on the importance of proper concussion recognition and management in high school sports. This course highlights the impact of sports-related concussion on athletes, teaches how to recognize a suspected concussion, and provides protocols to manage a suspected concussion with steps to help players return to play safely after a concussion.  Free course.  Requires Registration. Certificate of Completion.

 NFHS Concussion in Sports

Concussion for Students, developed in Partnership with the Barrow Neurological Institute, has been designed specifically for students to inform them on how to identify, react to, and prevent concussions.  This free course is presented as a social media conversation, showing how four different students learn about concussion in different ways.  It includes high school students and medical professionals discussing concussion.  The key goal is for students to be able to identify signs and symptoms of a concussion so that they can get immediate help before any further injury can occur.  Free course.  Requires Registration. Certificate of Completion.

 NFHS Concussion for Students

HeadStrong Concussion Program

 HeadStrong Concussion Insurance Program

Online training for high school sports coaches

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) teamed up with CDC's HEADS UP to educate coaches, officials, parents and students on the importance of proper concussion recognition and management in high school sports.

Learn the impact of sports-related concussion on athletes, how to recognize a suspected concussion, and protocols to manage a suspected concussion with steps to help players return to play safely after a concussion.

Each state's requirements for concussion management are included as part of the course.

Note: This course is hosted on the NFHS's web site.

Overview

HEADS Up to High School Sports Coaches: Online Concussion Training‎

Take the Training

After finishing this training, you will be able to:

• Describe the impact of sports-related concussion on athletes.
• Recognize a suspected concussion.
• Manage a suspected concussion with steps to help athletes return to sports safely after a concussion.

HEADS UP trainings for sports officials & athletic trainers

• Sports Officials: HEADS UP to Sports Officials: Online Concussion Training
• Athletic Trainers: HEADS UP to Athletic Trainers: Online Concussion Training

For up to date trainings please go directly to the CDC website 

https://www.cdc.gov/heads-up/communication-resources/training.html

Trainings are FREE!

Online training for youth sports coaches

CDC's HEADS UP to Youth Sports: Online Concussion Training for Coaches shares the latest guidance on concussion safety and prevention. The training provides essential information to help coaches spot signs and symptoms of possible concussions and take action.

Online training for school professionals

The HEADS UP to Schools: Online Concussion Training for School Professionals is designed to help classroom teachers (grades K-12), school administrators, paraprofessionals, teacher's aides, and other staff who work with students understand the following:

• How a concussion may affect a student's learning, emotions, and behavior
• How to identify and monitor signs and symptoms of concussion
• How to help students successfully return to school and recover from a concussion.

Online training for athletic trainers

The HEADS UP to Athletic Trainers: Online Concussion Training shows ways athletic trainers can improve concussion prevention, evaluation, and management—from implementing safety and response plans to ongoing concussion care and stakeholder education. This training was developed through a partnership between CDC and the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) to share the latest guidance on concussion prevention and management. Following completion of the training, athletic trainers have the opportunity to earn 2.0 continuing education credits through NATA and receive a certificate of completion from CDC.

Online training for sports officials

The HEADS UP to Sports Officials: Online Concussion Training was developed through a partnership between CDC and the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) to share the latest guidance on concussion safety and prevention. The training provides essential information to help sports officials spot possible concussion signs and symptoms that can help keep athletes safe.