You must report to the Student Health Service nurse any current illness and any prescription or non-prescription medications you are currently taking prior to receiving an injection.

NOTIFY THE NURSE IF YOUR PHYSICIAN PRESCRIBES A BETA BLOCKER. (See list of beta blockers at bottom of this page.) If you are currently using a Beta Blocker while receiving allergy injections, we will need verbal permission from your allergist prior to administering the serum.

Students are required to bring allergy serum with accompanying physician's orders when initiating allergy injections at the Student Health Service. Hours for injections are posted. STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE to check signs at the Student Health Service indicating closings: i.e. at Holiday/Christmas break, spring break and end of spring semester before summer classes. If you have any problems with these times, special arrangements may be made on an individual basis.

No allergy injections will be given to a patient with hives, total body itching, wheezing, or fever greater than 100F.

The Student Health Service will not mix serum from different vials into a syringe. All serum will be drawn up into individual syringes and administered separately.

You are receiving injections of the materials to which you are most allergic. You may have very significant local or systemic reactions which require immediate treatment. Nearly all serious reactions begin within 5-20 minutes after the injection is given.

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO WAIT 30 MINUTES AFTER AN INJECTION.

You should not scratch or rub the allergy injection site because it will irritate the area and cause swelling. If it itches or becomes sore, you should apply an icepack.

Inform the nurse immediately if you have any itching, hives, coughing, sneezing, tightness in the chest or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing. These are symptoms of systemic reactions and require intervention. Systemic reactions after 20 minutes are rare and usually progress slowly but need prompt treatment as well. If a systemic reaction occurs following your departure, you should return to the Student Health Service promptly for treatment or after Student Health Service hours, report to the nearest hospital emergency room.

It is recommended that you do not do any strenuous exercise for one hour before and one hour after an injection.

All reactions must be reported before you receive your next injection. Local reactions consist of swelling and itching at the injection site. Please measure the size of the swelling (not the area of redness) and record the length of time the swelling lasts. It is important to report these two factors to the nurse prior to your next injection.

If you discontinue or fail to appear for treatment for a period of 120 days, your vial will be discarded.

BETA BLOCKERS