California Passes Rectal Injection Bill For Teachers

[Modern School]

If the headline doesn’t make it perfectly clear, crazy California has passed perhaps the looniest piece of legislation ever. SB161, which asks teachers to rectally inject diastat (valium) into students who are having epileptic seizures, just passed the state assembly on a vote of 47-16, with 17 abstentions.

Fortunately, teachers and other staff may volunteer to give the injections, but are not required to. I say fortunately, because the instructions say that only personnel trained by medical professionals should administer the medication. The instructions require the medicine to be injected rectally while the patient is in the midst of a seizure, something that would be difficult even for trained personnel and that could easily result in mistakes that harm the student.

Click here for a demonstration video on how to administer Diastat

Refuse and Resist
All teachers should refuse to volunteer. They should refuse because this is a job for trained medical personnel like nurses, who the state should be adequately funding at every school site. They should refuse because it sets them up for liability should they make a mistake. They should refuse because it is not in their job description or training to strip students publicly, stick things into their rectums, and have to maintain the order and discipline of their remaining 30-35 students while they do so. And they should refuse out of solidarity with their nurse colleagues who have been pushed out of the schools as a result of budget cuts.

The nurses unions oppose the legislation, not only because it encourages the downsizing of nursing staffs (if teachers can administer medicine, then why do we need nurses?), but also because it is dangerous for students. Sandre Swanson (Dem., Oakland) implored his colleagues to vote no, saying they should “work immediately to fund nurses at schools,” according to the Sacramento Bee. Unfortunately, his Democratic colleagues ignored his pleas and voted for the bill.

Modern School
http://modeducation.blogspot.com/2011/08/california-passes-rectal-injection-bill.html

[laconicsax]

1. If you read the bill, it isn't as loony as you make it out.

http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/sen/sb_0151-0200/sb_161_bill_20110826_amended_asm_v93.html

It clearly specifies, repeatedly, that it only applies to the administering of recognized and valid treatments by individuals trained by properly licensed healthcare professionals. Focusing on the predosed rectal gel that helps limit the severity of seizures is a cheap way to slander a legitimate piece of legislation, regardless of its negative impact on the size of nursing staffs. If you can't make the argument without pointing to a single part of the bill and laughing, then you should work on your argument.

[Warpy]

4. Right, this is a good deal

that would get a badly seizing kid under treatment before the ambulance gets there. Since ambulances can take a while, especially in rural areas, this is a great deal for the poor kid.

A lot of kids with seizure disorders stop breathing during the seizure. It can be fatal if it goes on too long. This just allows teachers who have been trained to give the kid a better chance. Since we no longer hide kids away when they have seizure disorders, they might even have a chance to use those skills.

Since it's voluntary and requires training, it's a good deal.

[LiberalFighter]

2. There would be an issue with other students taking photos with their cell.

Are teachers permitted to know about medical issues of this nature?

[nebenaube]

3. They can pass that law all they want.

But it's practicing medicine without a license. How do they expect to get around that?

[FloridaJudy]

6. Actually, it's practicing *nursing* without a license

The teacher isn't prescribing the medication, he/she is administering it. That doesn't make it any less dangerous: see my response to this below.

[FloridaJudy]

5. If someone is having a seizure

Position the person on his/her side in a safe place - to avoid injury by thrashing or by inhaling blood/saliva/vomit - and CALL FOR MEDICAL HELP! The paramedics are trained to recognize when drugs are needed and how to administer them. Schoolteachers aren't.

And if it's a true medical emergency - most seizures aren't - they'll have a way of getting the person to a hospital quickly. There are some seizures that are life-threatening, such as eclampsia, DT's, or status epilepticus, but you're better off calling 911 than trying to mess around with injecting rectal valium!

I understand why some parents would want emergency medication available. In children whose epilepsy is poorly controlled, there's a danger of what's called status epilepticus, in which the seizure is so severe and prolonged that the child doesn't breathe and the brain can't get any oxygen. Brain damage or death can result. But it takes someone with medical training to distinguish that from your ordinary, garden variety seizure from which the person regains consciousness several minutes later confused - and probably a bit embarrassed - but basically unharmed. I don't want to see some poor schoolteacher having to time the seizure, and then administer the medication to a thrashing child while a whole classroom of other kids are likely frightened and bouncing off the walls.

I can also see the repercussions when Little Timmy comes home and tells his parents "Bobby fell down and Ms. Smith stuck something up his butt".

If a child's epilepsy is so poorly controlled that status epilepticus is a danger, then he/she needs to be in a school where a nurse is readily available. Maybe not every school can afford that, but one could be designated for children with serious medical conditions.

School nurses are relatively cheap. Lawsuits can be extremely expensive!