Management of Pediatric Anaphylaxis: How Are We Doing?

The 2006 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease/Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network summary report on anaphylaxis treatment recommends early administration of intramuscular epinephrine and discharge instructions that include a prescription for an epinephrine autoinjector and referral to an allergist. In a retrospective chart review at a pediatric emergency department (ED) from 2002 through 2006, these authors assessed whether treatment and outpatient management of anaphylaxis met recommendations.

Patients were considered to have anaphylaxis if they received a diagnosis of an allergic reaction and had any of the following criteria: involvement of two or more organ systems, hypotension for age, involvement of one organ system wi…