Learning from anaphylaxis fatalities
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780199651559.003.0082
This is the first study to report an unselected series of fatal anaphylactic reactions from all causes. A register was established of all fatal anaphylactic reactions in the UK since 1992 . . . study of a large number of fatal reactions might give insight into why prevention and treatment had failed. . . . The register holds details of 164 fatalities during 1992-98. . . . An arithmetic mean of 20.4 probable anaphylactic deaths each year was recorded. Approximately half the reactions were due to medical interventions, quarter each to insect venom and food. . . . This retrospective study has revealed how avoidance, self-treatment and medical management failed to prevent anaphylactic death. This insight should lead to better management of severe allergies by more effective advice on allergen avoidance; more appropriate prescribing of self-treatment kit and improved training in its use; improved protocols for paramedics, and increased awareness of the correct dose of adrenaline used in treatment of anaphylactic reactions.
Access to the complete content on Oxford Medicine Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts for each book and chapter without a subscription.
Please subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.
For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.