Eurostar urged to carry adrenaline injectors in first-aid kit after medical alert
A junior doctor is calling for lifesaving adrenaline auto-injectors to be carried on Eurostar after caring for a young child who suffered an allergic reaction on the service.
Dr Raphaelle Debray, 26, who is French and works for the NHS, was en route to Paris when she responded to an appeal for a doctor. She requested the onboard medical kit and found it contained only some plasters and a defibrillator. In contrast, international guidelines state that commercial airlines should carry emergency medical kits, with equipment and medication including adrenaline. British Airways and easyJet said they carried adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) on all flights.
Debray said: “This is not like a regular train where you can get an ambulance to come very quickly because of the time that you are underground.” She said the Eurostar medical kits should also include other medical items such as a resuscitation mask and airway stents to prevent obstructions in the upper airway.
Debray has written to Eurostar urging it to upgrade its first aid kits to include an AAI, available under the brands EpiPen, Jext and Emerade. Fortunately, the child did not suffer an anaphylactic reaction during the episode caused by chocolate containing egg, and quickly recovered after the incident on 11 April.
In the letter sent to Eurostar, Debray wrote that it was “shocking” that an onboard medical kit on an international service carried only plasters and a defibrillator. “A more complete medical kit in your trains could prevent deaths or severe injuries.”
Eurostar said this weekend it would review its medical kits, but that it was prevented by government regulations from including prescription medicines, which would include AAIs. A spokesperson said: “The safety and
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