Anaphylaxis hospitalizations are increasing in many countries, in particular for medication and food triggers in young children. Food-related anaphylaxis remains an uncommon cause of death, but a significant proportion of these are preventable.To review published epidemiological data relating to food-induced anaphylaxis and potential risk factors of fatal and/or near-fatal anaphylaxis cases, in order to provide strategies to reduce the risk of severe adverse outcomes in food anaphylaxis.We identified 32 published studies available in MEDLINE (1966-2017), EMBASE (1980-2017), CINAHL (1982-2017), using known terms and synonyms suggested by librarians and allergy specialists.Young adults with a history of asthma, previously known food allergy particularly to peanut/tree nuts are at higher risk of fatal anaphylaxis reactions. In some countries, cow's milk and seafood/fish are also becoming common triggers of fatal reactions. Delayed adrenaline injection is associated with fatal outcomes, but timely adrenaline alone may be insufficient. There is still a lack of evidence regarding the real impact of these risk factors and co-factors (medications and/or alcohol consumption, physical activities, and mast cell disorders).General strategies should include optimization of the classification and coding for anaphylaxis (new ICD 11 anaphylaxis codes), dissemination of international recommendations on the treatment of anaphylaxis, improvement of the prevention in food and catering areas, and dissemination of specific policies for allergic children in schools. Implementation of these strategies will involve national and international support for ongoing local efforts in relationship with networks of centres of excellence to provide personalized management (which might include immunotherapy) for the most at-risk patients.
Precision allergy molecular diagnostic applications (PAMD@) is increasingly entering routine care. Currently, more than 130 allergenic molecules from more than 50 allergy sources are commercially available for invitro specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) testing. Since the last publication of this consensus document, a great deal of new information has become available regarding this topic, with over 100 publications in the last year alone. It thus seems quite reasonable to publish an update. It is imperative that clinicians and immunologists specifically trained in allergology keep abreast of the new and rapidly evolving evidence available for PAMD@. PAMD@ may initially appear complex to interpret; however, with increasing experience, the information gained provides relevant information for the allergist. This is especially true for food allergy, Hymenoptera allergy, and for the selection of allergen immunotherapy. Nevertheless, all sIgE tests, including PAMD@, should be evaluated within the framework of a patient's clinical history, because allergen sensitization does not necessarily imply clinical relevant allergies.
There are increasing global data regarding the prevalence of food allergy and food-induced anaphylaxis. However, knowledge in morbidity and mortality epidemiological data is still not optimal, and international comparable standards remain poorly accessed. This information could in turn support better clinical practice and possibly prevent future severe reactions and avoidable fatalities. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the standard diagnostic tool used for epidemiology, health management, and clinical purposes supported by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is also used to determine health care payment and reimbursement of providers and health care services in hospitals. Thanks to the academic and technical efforts under the ALLERGY in ICD-11 initiative the pioneer "Allergy and hypersensitivity conditions" section has been built under the "Disorders of the Immune System" chapter of the ICD-11. The "Food hypersensitivity" (FH) subsection is classified under the "Complex allergic or hypersensitivity conditions" section and "Food-induced anaphylaxis" is under the "Anaphylaxis" section. In order to inform the development of strategies to reduce preventable FHs/food allergies, the burden of disease in different healthcare settings and patient populations and their common etiologies need to be understood. Besides, greater specificity regarding clinical conditions and services delivered will provide payers, policy makers, and providers with better information to make major refinements to countries payment and reimbursement systems, including the design and implementation of pay-for-performance program.The new classification addressed to FHs will enable the collection of more accurate epidemiological data to support quality management of patients with FHs/food allergies, and better facilitate health care planning and decision-making and public health measures to prevent and reduce their morbidity and mortality. The improved logic and standardized definitions through the ICD-11 (and other WHO classifications) will also facilitate international comparisons of quality care and the sharing of best practice globally.
Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) is a validated tool to assess control in allergic rhinitis patients.The aim of this study was to validate the use of VAS in the MASK-rhinitis (MACVIA-ARIA Sentinel NetworK for allergic rhinitis) app (Allergy Diary) on smartphones screens to evaluate allergic rhinitis symptoms and disease control.Each user filled 4 different VAS measuring overall, nasal, ocular, and asthma symptoms at least once. Following COSMIN guidelines, we evaluated internal consistency, (Cronbach's alpha coefficient and test-retest), reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients), sensitivity, and acceptability of the MASK-Rhinitis VAS.Between 1 August 2015 and 31 July 2016, the app was used 14 612 times in 15 countries. A total of 1225 users used it more than once, during the evaluated period. The tool resulted to be statistically satisfactory, showing excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's test > 0.84, test-retest > 0.7), reliability (>0.9), and acceptability. In addition, the tool had a good sensitivity when users (n = 521) answered the VAS twice in less than 3 hours.The MASK-rhinitis VAS is a reliable and valid tool to assess allergic control on smartphone screens, at the population level.
L'objectif de cette étude était d'appréhender les pratiques informationnelles des patients pris en charge en allergologie. Nous avons mené une étude prospective monocentrique par questionnaire, auprès de 200 patients consultant pour des allergies dans un centre hospitalo-universitaire français. Les répondants ont fourni des réponses sur leurs caractéristiques sociodémographiques, les pratiques de recherche d'informations sur les allergies, la compréhension des informations partagées par les allergologues, et l'attitude du médecin. Parmi 68 % des patients ont déclaré s'informer sur les allergies. Les professionnels de santé étaient leurs sources principales d'information (allergologue 66 %, médecin de famille 57 %, autres spécialistes 5 %), puis l'Internet (22 %), les dépliants des laboratoires pharmaceutiques (16 %), et les médias traditionnels (télévision 11 %, presse 6 %, radio 2 %). Les patients ont manifesté le besoin d'informations et d'explications de la part de l'allergologue, concernant l'allergie diagnostiquée, les effets indésirables et la durée du traitement. Trente et un pour cent ont rencontré des difficultés à comprendre les informations partagées par les médecins lors de la consultation, et ce particulièrement chez les patients souffrant d'allergies respiratoires avec une courte histoire clinique, un niveau de scolarité inférieur au baccalauréat et chez ceux qui ne s'informent pas sur les allergies en dehors la consultation. Cette étude exploratoire a permis d'identifier les premières tendances sur les pratiques informationnelles des patients allergiques. Elle sera poursuivie par une enquête qualitative. The objective of this study was to apprehend information practices of patients receiving allergy care. We conducted a prospective monocentric study administering a questionnaire to 200 patients consulting for any type of allergy in a French university hospital center. Respondents provided answers on their socio-demographic characteristics, personal practices for seeking information on allergies, understanding of the information shared by allergists, and doctor's attitude. In all, 68% of patients declared informing themselves on allergies. Healthcare professionals were their main sources of information (allergist 66%, family doctor 57%, other specialists 5%), followed by the Internet (22%), leaflets from pharmaceutical laboratories (16%), and traditional media (television 11%, press 6%, radio, 2%). Patients expressed the need for information and explanations from the allergist, regarding the diagnosed allergy, adverse effects, and duration of treatment. Thirty-one percent of them encountered difficulty in understanding the information shared by the doctor during the consultation, especially in patients suffering from respiratory allergies, with a short clinical history, an educational level below high school diploma and among those who do not seek information on allergies besides medical consultation. The study led to identify first outlines on information practices of allergy patients. The work will be continued by a qualitative study.
Background The approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) differ in various parts of the world. We sought to determine the adherence to international and national urticaria guidelines as well as the motives to deviate from the guidelines among physicians worldwide.Methods A web-based questionnaire was created and launched via e-mail by the World Allergy Organization (WAO) to representatives of all WAO Member Societies, the members of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and the members of the WAO Junior Members Group (JMG), regardless of the specialty, affiliation, or nationality in March 2017.Results We received 1140 completed surveys from participating physicians from 99 countries. Virtually all participants (96%) were aware of at least one urticaria guideline and reported that they follow a guideline. However, one in five physicians who follow a guideline (22%) reported to deviate from it. Reliance on own clinical experience is the most frequent reason for deviation from guidelines or not following them (44%). Young (< 40 years) and less experienced physicians more often follow a guideline and less often deviate than older and experienced ones. Physicians who follow a urticaria guideline showed higher rates of routinely ordering a complete blood count, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, anti-thyroid antibodies, and thyroid-stimulating hormone and of performing the autologous serum skin test as compared to those who do not. Physicians who follow a urticaria guideline showed higher rates of using second generation antihistamines as their first-line treatment of CSU (p = 0.001) and more frequently observed higher efficacy of these drugs (or had more confidence that it would work, p < 0.019) as compared to those who do not follow the guidelines.Conclusions Physicians' characteristics (e.g. age, clinical experience, and specialty) and country specifics and regional features (e.g. availability of drugs for CSU treatment) importantly influence adherence to urticaria guidelines and CSU patient care and should be addressed in more detail in future research.