Anaphylaxis Incidence Is Increasing in the U.S.

Anaphylaxis prevalence appears to be increasing in the U.S. and other developed countries. To determine case-fatality rates and mortality associated with anaphylaxis in the U.S., researchers examined three separate databases.

Between 1999 and 2009, the annual number of anaphylaxis-related hospitalizations increased from about 5700 to 7700. During this interval, the annual number of deaths among hospitalized patients was about 60; the case-fatality rate averaged around 1% during the first half of the decade and decreased slightly during the second half. If anaphylaxis-related emergency department visits are combined with hospitalizations, the number of anaphylaxis-related encounters between 2006 and 2009 increased from about 25,000 to 30,000 …