Asthma Healing

More than 500,000 emergency injection kits for treating severe allergic reactions and asthma attacks are being recalled in the United States and Canada.

The kits are routinely carried by people who are prone to acute asthma attacks or have deadly allergies to certain foods or bee stings, for example. Users inject themselves with epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, to counter the reaction.

Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, a subsidiary of American Home Products, said today that routine quality-control tests found that the epinephrine included in the kits was not potent enough to be effective.

The recall involves three kits: the Insect-Sting Treatment Kit packaged and distributed by Derm/Buro Inc., and the Hollister Stier-Ana-Kit and the Ana-Guard, both packaged and distributed by the Bayer Corporation. Consumers may call Wyeth-Ayerst at (800) 999-9384.