Loading...
Food allergies are the leading cause of fatal anaphylaxis in children. To identify common patterns among these reactions, researchers examined all 19 cases of fatal pediatric food-induced anaphylaxis that occurred in England between 2019 and 2023.
Median time from symptom onset to cardiac arrest was 14 minutes (range, 1 to 60).
All reactions occurred outside medical settings, often in residences, and all children were in cardiac arrest by the time they reached the emergency department.
When emergency services (EMS) were called, 32% of children were already in cardiac arrest. By the time EMS arrived (median, 8 minutes later), an additional 42% had progressed to cardiac arrest.
37% of children received no epinephrine, and anothe…