Rat Epinephrine/Adrenaline ELISA Kit

Purpose of review Epinephrine is the agreed-upon first line treatment for anaphylaxis, yet it continues to be underused by patients/caregivers and providers alike. Recent findings There are unfortunately limited data on how epinephrine can best be utilized in anaphylaxis, which hinders how best to inform patients and providers. Studies reporting underuse suggest various barriers and themes on why this may happen. Continued education of patients, caregivers, and providers is needed; however, is not likely to be enough to close the gap. Thus, novel studies on how to increase use; increase availability in a cost-effective manner; and newer, effective delivery routes are still needed.

Background: Although the prevalence of anaphylaxis is increasing worldwide, the large-scale studies in Asia evaluating anaphylaxis in all age groups are limited. We aimed to collect more precise and standardized data on anaphylaxis in Korea using the first multicenter web-based registry. Methods: Twenty-two departments from 16 hospitals participated from November 2016 to December 2018. A web-based case report form, designed by allergy specialists, was used to collect anaphylaxis data. Results: Within the 2-year period, 558 anaphylaxis cases were registered. The age of registered patients ranged from 2 months to 84 years, and 60% were aged <18 years. In children and adolescents, foods (84.8%) were the most common cause of anaphylaxis, followed by drugs (7.2%); in adults, drugs (58.3%) were the most common cause, followed by foods (28.3%) and insect venom (8.1%). The onset time was <= 10 min in 37.6% of patients. Among the 351 cases registered via the emergency department (ED) of participating hospitals, epinephrine was administered to 63.8% of patients. Among those receiving epinephrine in the ED, 13.8% required 2 or more epinephrine shots. Severe anaphylaxis accounted for 23.5% cases (38.1% in adults; 13.7% in children); patients with drug and insect venom-induced anaphylaxis had higher rates of severe anaphylaxis. Conclusion: This multicenter registry provides data on anaphylaxis for all age groups for the first time in Asia. The major causes and severity of anaphylaxis were remarkably different according to age group, and the acute treatment features of anaphylaxis in the EDs were examined in detail.