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Study: Only half of adult food allergy patients have immediate access to epinephrine
Epinephrine is the only medication that can stop anaphylaxis, and it is critical that everyone with a food allergy has access to epinephrine to treat life-threatening reactions. A new study presented at this year's annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Louisville, Kentucky, shows that only half of adult patients with food allergies have immediate access to epinephrine and 36% of adults believe epinephrine auto-injectors (EAIs) can cause negative or life-threatening effects. We know that not everyone who needs a pair of EAIs has easy access to one. Given the fact that more…
Study: Only half of adult food allergy patients have immediate access to epinephrine
Epinephrine is the only medication that can stop anaphylaxis, and it is critical that everyone with a food allergy has access to epinephrine to treat life-threatening reactions. A new study presented at this year's annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Louisville, Kentucky, shows that only half of adult patients with food allergies have immediate access to epinephrine and 36% of adults believe epinephrine auto-injectors (EAIs) can cause negative or life-threatening effects.
We know that not everyone who needs a pair of EAIs has easy access to one. Given that food allergies affect more than 32 million people in the United States, we wanted to find out why more people weren't carrying EAIs for their food allergies. Our survey of more than 1,000 adults found that the most common reason for not having an EAI was "my doctor said it's not really necessary" or "I don't think I need it" - indicating that educational gaps are a notable barrier to EAI access."
Jennaveve Yost, MS, lead author of the study
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An online survey was conducted with 1,006 adults with food allergies. Participants self-identified as 61% Caucasian, 16% Black, 15% Hispanic, and 7% Asian, Native American, or other.
“People with food and other severe allergies that can cause anaphylaxis need to understand that epinephrine is the first line of defense,” says Erin Malawer, senior author of the study. "The fact that 36% of adults believe EAIs can cause life-threatening side effects is concerning. Our goal in conducting the study was to show that more people need to be made aware that if they have a food allergy, they should always carry an EAI and that these EAIs are safe to use. Only 33% of those we surveyed reported having an unexpired EAI, another worrying statistic. EAIs should have a current prescription and be accessible be.”
Anyone who has a food allergy should seek treatment from an allergist. An allergist can create a plan to help patients identify their food allergens and avoid triggers.
Source:
American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI)
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