Management and treatment of anaphylaxis in children: still too low the rate of prescription and administration of intramuscular epinephrine

Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2014 Oct-Dec;27(4):597-605. doi: 10.1177/039463201402700415.

Abstract

Despite it being well known that anaphylaxis is a severe life-threatening reaction requiring prompt management and treatment, this entity is still under-recognized and not correctly managed, above all in children. The aim of this study was to analyze the most frequent features of anaphylaxis in a pediatric population (n=65 patients) and to identify factors predicting more severe reactions. Among the 70 recorded episodes, food was the main culprit of anaphylaxis, and patients with a positive history for allergic asthma had more severe episodes (P=0.008). A self-injectable adrenaline was used only in 2 of the 70 episodes and none of the 50 episodes managed in the Emergency Department was treated with intramuscular adrenaline. Only 10/65 patients (15%) had a prescription for an auto-injector prior to the first episode of anaphylaxis. The retrospective analysis of the risk factors potentially requiring an epinephrine auto-injector prescription before the first anaphylactic episode, showed that of the 55 patients without prescription, at least 10 (18%) should have been provided with a device, according to the most recent guidelines. In conclusion, notwithstanding intramuscular adrenaline being the first-line treatment of anaphylaxis, many episodes are still undertreated and the risk of anaphylaxis is still under-estimated. More efforts should be made to promote the correct management of anaphylaxis among both healthcare-providers and patients.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Anaphylaxis / drug therapy*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Drug Prescriptions / statistics & numerical data
  • Epinephrine / administration & dosage*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Injections, Intramuscular
  • Male
  • Retrospective Studies

Substances

  • Epinephrine