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Title: Most Adults with Allergies Do Not Carry Epi
Post by: GoingNuts on June 26, 2018, 07:28:02 PM
Most Adults With Allergies Do Not Carry Epinephrine Injectors
Norra MacReady June 21, 2018 2 Most people with life-threatening allergies do not use or carry the epinephrine autoinjectors (EAIs) that doctors prescribe for them, according to a new study of a large, representative sample of the US population. Of 917 survey participants, roughly half (51%) reported having continuous access to an EAI, whereas 44% said they carried at least one with them all the time, researchers reported in an article published online June 21 in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Only 24% of the sample carried two or more EAIs, which is recommended.
This was despite the fact that 89% of all prescriptions for EAIs had been filled and 69% of the patients had experienced at least one allergic reaction within the last 12 months. In the survey, 58% to 59% of the respondents said they knew how to use an EAI and could recognize the signs and symptoms of a severe allergic reaction. "Remarkably, over 50% of adults and 30% of children reported experiencing at least one severe allergic reaction where an EAI was not used but would have been beneficial," write Christopher M. Warren, PhD, from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, and colleagues. "It's not enough to simply pick up your EAI prescription," senior author Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH, from the Institute for Public Health and Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois, said in a related press release. "You need to know how to use your EAI and always carry it, to be prepared for an allergy emergency. It could save your life."
For at least 40% of the respondents, no EAI was available during their most severe allergic reaction. This occurred more often among adults than children (44% vs 37%), which may reflect the increased availability of EAIs in schools, the authors add. Identifying Barriers
The prevalence of serious allergy has risen significantly in recent decades and is currently estimated at 8% in children and 5% in adults, the authors note. There is already evidence that patients do not carry or use their EAIs as prescribed, which could have severe or even fatal consequences.