Medical Conditions at School

Students with severe medical conditions may require emergency intervention by school staff. These conditions are physician-diagnosed and potentially life-threatening. Parents and guardians work in partnership with schools to ensure children with medical or life-threatening conditions receive appropriate care at school.

Each school district has its own policy and forms for planning care for students with medical conditions. Contact your local school for information and forms for your district.

For people who have adrenal insufficiency, the adrenal glands stop working properly and can’t produce hormones which are crucial to keeping our body functioning correctly. 

While the different types of adrenal insufficiency have different causes, people who live with this day-to-day experience similar challenges regarding their steroid dependency, resulting from the inability of their adrenal glands to produce cortisol. They need to take steroid medication every day to stay healthy. Without enough cortisol, a person can go into adrenal crisis.

When this happens, an emergency injection of a cortisol medication called Solu Cortef is needed.

Solu Cortef Rescue Medication Training for School Staff

Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the airways. The severity and duration of each flare-up of symptoms can vary for each person. Allergic or non-allergic triggers may cause symptoms. Management of asthma is most successful when education, environmental control and medication are all considered. Asthma reactions may occur daily, weekly and/or seasonally.

It is very important for students with asthma that:

• The parents and physician complete the Medical Alert Planning and Request for Medication forms, and return them to the school. Visit the Parent and/or Guardian Responsibilities section of this page for more information

• Medication (puffers, oral medication) is labelled for the student

• Medication should be accessible to the student at all times

• School personnel as well as the student have had education about asthma and avoidance of the triggers for the student, and are trained in recognizing and treating asthma

• The student wears MedicAlert identification at all times

   

An allergy is an overreaction of the body to an ordinarily harmless substance. The substance (allergen) triggers the immune system to release chemicals to defend against the allergen. These chemicals can affect various body systems causing uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous symptoms.

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can lead to rapid death if left untreated. It occurs when the body’s immune system reacts to harmless substances, like peanuts or bee stings, as though they were harmful invaders.

Children with diabetes follow a special diet and/or inject insulin. Diabetes is a disease where the body is not able to regulate its blood sugar because it is unable to produce any insulin (Type 1) or it cannot produce enough insulin or properly use the insulin it does produce (Type 2). Most children with diabetes have Type 1. 

Learn more about the different types of diabetes.

Children who have diabetes control this condition by watching what, when and how much they eat balanced with their activity and, if needed, through pills or insulin injections. Children with Type 1 diabetes require insulin injections. Insulin helps control and lower blood sugar. When the blood sugar gets too low it can be life-threatening.

It is important for students with diabetes that:

• Their parents complete the Diabetes medication administration and the Diabetes support plan and medical alert information forms and return the forms to the school. Visit the Parent and/or Guardian Responsibilities section of this page for more information

• Medication and monitoring equipment (e.g., insulin, blood glucose meter, emergency snack) are labelled and accessible to them at all times

• School personnel, as well as the student and family, have had education about diabetes, and are aware of emergency measures

• They wear MedicAlert identification at all times

Hemophilia is a rare genetic bleeding disorder. It runs in families and is almost always seen in males. Hemophilia occurs when blood clotting factors don't work as they should. Blood clotting factors help stop bleeding after a cut or injury.

There are two main types of hemophilia: Hemophilia A is caused by a lack of active clotting factor VIII (8). About one out of every 5,000 male babies is born with hemophilia A. Hemophilia B (Christmas disease) is caused by a lack of active clotting factor IX (9). It is less common and affects one out of 30,000 male babies.

It is very important for students with hemophilia that:

• Their parents and physician complete the Medical Alert Planning forms and returned the forms to the school. Visit the Parent and/or Guardian Responsibilities section of this page for more information

• School personnel, as well as the student, have had education about hemophilia, know the signs of bleeding and treatment measures

• They wear MedicAlert identification at all times

Epilepsy is a neurological condition that makes people susceptible to seizures. Seizures are changes in sensation, awareness or behaviour brought about by a brief electrical disturbance in the brain. These seizures vary from a momentary disruption of the senses to short periods of unconsciousness or staring spells to convulsions.

People with epilepsy can live, work and function in the world as well as anyone else. A child who has a seizure doesn’t usually require medical attention unless:

• There is no known history of epilepsy

• Consciousness doesn’t return after the seizure ends

• A second seizure begins shortly after the first and consciousness wasn’t regained after the first

• A seizure shows no sign of ending after five minutes

It is very important for students with epilepsy that:

• Their parents and physician complete the Medical Alert Planning and Request for Medication forms and return the forms to the school. Visit the Parent and/or Guardian Responsibilities section of this page for more information.

• Their medication is labelled for them

• School personnel as well as the student have had education about epilepsy and seizures, and are aware of the care needed for the student in case of an emergency

• They wear their MedicAlert identification bracelet at all times

Any child with a serious medical condition should have identification with them, such as a MedicAlert bracelet, necklace or badge. 

MedicAlert tells emergency staff:

• Your child's name

• What condition they have

• What treatment is needed

• Who to contact in case of emergency

MedicAlert products and ordering information can be found at your physician's office, drugstore or by visiting www.medicalert.ca or calling 1-800-668-1507.