Is anaphylaxis at epidemic proportions?

Monday, 05 January 2009 22:00

Professor Hugh Sampson and associates have published an editorial in the current issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology to address the question of whether the magnitude of the increased incidence of anaphylaxis warrants the designation ‘epidemic’.

The article summarises published data on the incidence of anaphylaxis, and discusses the impact of the modern, broader definition of anaphylaxis on the number of patients now diagnosed with anaphylaxis. The modern definition of anaphylaxis; ‘a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death’, does not mandate that reduced blood pressure or ‘shock’ need to be present. Evidence suggests that initial signs and symptoms in patients dying of anaphylaxis are more likely to involve respiratory distress than circulatory collapse, particularly in fatal food-induced anaphylaxis.

The authors’ analysis of published data indicates at least a 71% increase in the average annual incidence of anaphylaxis in the USA compared to the previous decade.  Following a discussion as to whether anaphylaxis is under- or over-diagnosed, the authors conclude that the term ‘epidemic’ can correctly be applied to anaphylaxis, as it is to asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema.

The article can be downloaded free of charge from www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(08)01870-8/fulltext

Reference: Simons et al. 2008. Anaphylaxis epidemic: Fact or fiction? Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Vol 122(6) pp. 1166- 1168.