SCRIPT :)))

Roles:
Father - Howard
Mother - Ailene
Child - Althia
Nurses: Dynn AND Dylan

Althia, an 11 year-old girl, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Langeras, are waiting inside
the clinic. Althia recently recovered from an allergic rhinitis attack due to her food allergy
caused by peanuts. As of the moment, she still feels slightly distressed and still
experiences minor symptoms from the attack. The parents, being first time parents,
seem to be very anxious about their child’s situation.

The two nurses enter the room.

NURSE DYNN: Good Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Langeras. Good Morning Althia! I am
Nurse Dynn and we also have Nurse Dylan here, and we are your nurses for today.

NURSE DYLAN: Good Morning and hello Althia! I am Nurse Dylan.

MOTHER and FATHER: Good morning Nurses!

FATHER: Changy (para homie HAHA), won’t you say hi to the nurses?

ALTHIA: Hi and Good Morning to you Nurse Dynn and Nurse Dylan!

NURSE DYLAN: So, Althia, I read the report from the doctor on what happened to you
this morning, and that you were told to have allergic rhinitis related to peanut allergy, but
I’d like to hear it from you. What exactly did you feel a while ago?

ALTHIA: Uhmm, there is water that keeps dripping from my nose that is why it’s very
itchy and I also felt like there is something stuck inside my nose, which makes it harder
to breathe.

NURSE DYLAN: Is that so? Then how do you feel right now?

ALTHIA: Hmmm, I think I'm better now than before and I think it’s because the doctor
gave me medicine.
NURSE DYNN: Well that’s good to hear. It doesn’t really feel good to have allergies
right? *Althia nods* But don’t worry because there is always a way to prevent it.

NURSE DYLAN: But before anything else, Mr. and Mrs. Langeras, may we know how
did the allergic attack happen?

MOTHER: Well, my husband was making peanut butter toast while I was busy making
the orange juice this morning for our breakfast. After that, we started eating our
breakfast, it was fine at first but then…

FATHER: We were troubled when Althia suddenly sneezed severely and complained of
a very itchy and stuffy nose. We thought she just had a common cold, but we wondered
why and how it happened instantly when we were just eating our breakfast.

MOTHER: I was so worried when her sneezing became persistent and when she
started to cough. Since then, Althia has been very fatigued which is very unusual.

FATHER: We were so anxious and we didn’t know what to do so, we had no choice but
to rush here.

NURSE DYNN: Okay, we now understand the situation better. Also, this is an excellent
decision you made Mr. and Mrs. Langeras. You did a good job in bringing Althia here as
early as you can because what Althia is experiencing is not just a common cold but due
to her diagnosis of being allergic to peanuts.

NURSE DYLAN: *looks at Althia* And since, this is your first experience of an allergic
reaction/attack, we will teach you ways on how to avoid having it again in the best way
possible

ALTHIA: YAYY!! But I have a question, why was my nose very itchy a while ago?

***Presentation of the powerpoint slides***

-slide 1-
NURSE DYLAN: So Althia, look at this, you just had an Allergic Rhinitis that is caused
by peanuts.

ALTHIA: What is that? Why did it happen?

-slide 2-
NURSE DYNN: Allergic Rhinitis is a reaction that occurs in the eyes, nose and throat.

-slide 3-
NURSE DYNN: It occurs when you breathe or eat something you are allergic to, it can
be pollen, dust mites, pet fur and many more but in your case Althia, it is peanuts. This
is what we call allergens.

-slide 4-
NURSE DYLAN: When you had your breakfast a while ago, you had peanut butter toast
right? And in that toast, it possibly had peanut content wherein your body reacted
negatively and triggered your allergy.

NURSE DYNN: When you have allergic rhinitis, you will experience symptoms which
actually is the body’s natural way to fight off substances that can be harmful to you.
That is why you experienced sneezing, coughing, an itchy and stuffy nose.

NURSE DYLAN: Did you know that peanuts is one of the most common causes of
severe allergy?

ALTHIA: *shocked* Really? Oh no…

-slide 5-
NURSE DYLAN: Yes. Exposure to peanuts can happen in three ways: Direct, Cross-
Contact, and Inhalation.

-slide 6-
NURSE DYLAN: Direct contact is when you have eaten a food with peanuts or peanut
ingredient in it.

-slide 7-
NURSE DYLAN: Cross-contact then is the unintended introduction of peanuts into a
product, it could be through the transfer of allergens we mentioned a while ago.

-slide 8-
NURSE DYLAN: And lastly, we have the Inhalation, where one might inhale air or
aerosols containing peanut products, for example we have peanut flour and peanut oil.

-slide 9-
NURSE DYNN: Can you guess what type of exposure you had, Althia?
ALTHIA: Hmmm… Direct Contact??

NURSE DYNN: Yes, that’s right! Wow, you gathered that information quickly!

ALTHIA: uhmm Nurse? What do I have to do now?

-slide 10-
NURSE DYLAN: So right now, Althia, we will teach you the two methods to avoid
triggering your allergic reaction. The first method is without the use of medicine and the
second method is with the use of medicine.

-slide 11-
NURSE DYNN: There are two things to keep in mind under the first method, and these
are home environment and the avoidance of allergens. In your home environment, you
must avoid peanuts and peanut products. On the other hand, for the avoidance of
allergens, you must avoid dust mites, pollen, and pet fur.

ALTHIA: *suddenly raises her hand* OH! I have a question, you said that I must avoid
pet fur and we have a pet dog at home, should I avoid (name of doggy)?

NURSE DYNN: Hmmm, not necessarily Althia. As we said a while ago, you are only
allergic to peanuts, so you only have to avoid peanuts.

ALTHIA: Ohhhh.. Thats nice!

-slide 12-
NURSE DYLAN: You must also:
● Carry your own auto-injector and remember to always have them inside your
backpack or always have them with you

ALTHIA: Uhm excuse me, Nurse Dylan, what is an auto-injector?

NURSE DYLAN: An auto-injector is a device designed to deliver a dose of a particular

drug. It is used in case of emergencies to treat very serious allergic reactions.
Remember Althia, you must be with a parent/guardian before injecting this device
because this is a needle-based drug and you might harm yourself if you do it alone. Do
you understand?

ALTHIA: Yes, I do!

NURSE DYLAN: Good Job Althia!

ALTHIA: Um, how do I use it?

-slide 13-
NURSE DYLAN: Nice question. First, form a fist around the Epipen and pull off the blue
safety release cap. Then place the orange end hard into the outer thigh so it clicks and
hold it for 10 seconds. Can you repeat what I just said Althia?
ALTHIA: Oh, I should pull the blue cap then put the orange end hard into the outer thigh
until there is a click and then hold it for 10 seconds.

NURSE DYLAN: Well done!

-slide 14-
NURSE DYLAN: So next, you must:
● Inform your teachers, classmates, nurses and other students about your allergy
● Practice saying “Is this safe? I am allergic to peanuts”
● Keep allergen-free snacks in your backpack when you are in school when there
is an unplanned food event.
● When ordering in a restaurant, ask for the ingredients that are present in your
food to avoid triggering your allergy OR order your own food in a restaurant

-slide 15-
NURSE DYLAN:
● When shopping for groceries, read the food label. Your parents should explain to
you why you can’t have that certain food item by saying “You can't eat these
biscuits because they contain peanuts."

-slide 16-
NURSE DYLAN: In short, you must avoid peanuts at all cost by making sure that there
is no peanut in your food or drink and letting other people know so that they can help
you.

-slide 17-
NURSE DYNN: So for a quick review, the ways to avoid triggering your peanut allergy
are avoid peanuts or peanut products, always carry an Epipen, ask about your food,
and lastly, read the food labels.

-slide 18-
NURSE DYNN: Let’s have a game to test if you remember how to prevent your allergies
from happening! Look at the pictures then fill in the gaps to complete the phrases.

ALTHIA: Ask.. about food?

NURSE DYNN: Yes, that’s right! Very good. Always ask if there is peanut in the food.

-slide 19-
NURSE DYNN: Next is?

ALTHIA: Avoid peanuts!

NURSE DYNN: Yes ofcourse!

-slide 20-
NURSE DYNN: Then?

ALTHIA: Read..

NURSE DYNN: Almost there!

ALTHIA: food.. labels.

NURSE DYNN: Nice! Make sure there are no peanuts or any kinds of peanuts.

-slide 21-
NURSE DYNN: This is the last one.

ALTHIA: Carry epi? Carry epipen!

NURSE DYNN: Very good! Always carry an epipen in case of emergencies and don’t
forget to have your parents or guardian assist you!

-slide 22-
NURSE DYLAN: But we must tell you that avoiding these allergens is not possible and
not enough at all times.

-slide 23-
NURSE DYLAN: That is what our second method is, the use of medicines. I will share
to you some of the medicines that you can use for your allergy.
ALTHIA: Wow, so a medicine can cure me? Allergies no more?

NURSE DYNN: Althia, these medicines cannot cure your allergies, but it can surely
make you feel better. You can still have allergic reactions once you are exposed
however, these can reduce the symptoms that you experience. It is still a great deal
right?

ALTHIA: Aww *sad*, but if it can make me feel better, then sure it is!

-slide 24-
NURSE DYNN: So first we have the
(discusses the medicines/ pharmacologic tx)
● Antihistamines
- they are effective in reducing symptoms of your allergic reaction;
However, Althia, these tend to cause sleepiness so it is better to choose
those that cause the least amount of drowsiness so the medication does
not interfere when you go to school. *Althia nods*

NURSE DYLAN: Also, Mr. and Mrs. Langeras, I would just like to give a reminder that
nasal antihistamines should not be given for more than 3 days since a rebound effect
can occur.

MOTHER: Excuse me Nurse Dylan, what is this rebound effect?

NURSE DYLAN: A rebound effect is a phenomenon wherein the person no longer

responds to the therapeutic effect of the drug which results in symptoms appearing to
worsen rather than improve. For this drug, the tissues of the nose swell more rather
than go back to normal which makes the nose stuffy.

MOTHER: Oh, thank you Nurse Dylan for the information.

NURSE DYNN: May we proceed to the next treatments?

MOTHER: Oh yes, please.

NURSE DYNN: Next we have the

● Corticosteroids
- These actually works the same as antihistamines since both are good
anti-inflammatory agents which are shown to decrease your symptoms

-slide 25-
 ● Leukotriene Inhibitors
- These medicine is effective in reducing your stuffy nose since it reduces
inflammation and increased mucus secretions
● Immunotherapy
- In this therapy, it involves exposure to larger and larger amounts of
allergen in an attempt to change your immune system's response or in
order to make your body less sensitive to peanuts/allergens

NURSE DYNN: Do you still follow Althia?

ALTHIA: Yes I do, Nurse Dynn.

-slide 26- NURSE DYNN: Okay good, to proceed we have the:

● Decongestants
- These medicines work more effectively in decreasing nasal discharges or
the watery stuff and congestion so you might want to use this when you
have a runny and stuffy nose. Good thing is you can have it even without
prescription however you can use it for short-term only.
● Eye drops/Nasal spray
- It works the same way as others since it also reduces symptoms but if
used for more than 3 days, a rebound effect may occur, so be mindful in
using it.

-slide 27-
● Epinephrine auto-injector
- As what Nurse Dylan mentioned a while ago, it is an emergency measure
for your allergic reaction. But you have to ask for your mama and papa’s
guidance for this okay? *Althia nods* *Parents agrees*

-slide 28-
● Lastly we have the Home remedies
- These are the ways you can do with just the things you have at home To
alleviate nasal congestion and headaches, Ginger tea is a natural
antihistamine, an antiviral agent, and also an immune booster. While you
sip your tea, you can inhale the steam coming out of your cup.
So there it is, those are the medicines that could help you with your symptoms. Don’t
worry Althia, you can always ask help from your parents on what medicine you must
use. I still shared this with you so you will know how these medicines work, and what
medicines can work better depending on your situation.
ALTHIA: Okay Nurse!

-slide 29-
NURSE DYLAN: Also Althia, you should know how to take care of yourself when you
are experiencing an attack. First, you must recognize the symptoms that you might
experience in an allergic attack. Do you still remember those?

ALTHIA: Yes, I do! I had an itchy, stuffy, and runny nose, I sneezed a lot, I also
coughed a bit, and I could also experience wheezing and shortness of breath.

NURSE DYLAN: Very good! When you think that you experience those, you must
immediately reach for your parents or any guardian and let them know about it. You
should not be alone in these times because a certain allergic reaction might be more
severe than other reactions. And again, you must also keep an antihistamine or an epi
auto-injector to you at all times. Alright?

ALTHIA: Okay Nurse Dylan!!

-slide 30-
NURSE DYNN: So, do you have any questions, Althia?

NURSE DYLAN: Is there anything that confuses you?

ALTHIA: None at all, Nurses!

NURSE DYNN: How about you, Mr. and Mrs. Langeras, is there anything that concerns
you, feel free to ask us.

MOTHER: I think we already know what to do this time Nurse Dynn, thank you so much
for making it clearer for us.

FATHER: I agree nurses, I think it is time that we must know about this. Thank you!

ALTHIA: I agree with mama and papa! I think it’s not even scary at all! As long as I
know what to do. *confidence*

ALTHIA: Thank you for this Nurses! I really learned a lot!

NURSE DYNN: And thanks to you too! You have been a very good listener today!
*Althia smiles*
NURSE DYLAN: Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Langeras for bringing yourselves here and
taking the time to know more about your child’s condition. *Parents smile*

SCENE FADES OUT