Anaphylaxis in France: Rate, characteristics and unmet needs

• Published in: Revue française d'allergologie (2009) 2017-12, Vol.57 (8), p.519-524
• Main Authors: Tanno, L.K., Demoly, P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Allergology; Immunology; Life Sciences
• ISSN: 1877-0320
• DOI: 10.1016/j.reval.2017.02.242

Background: Ascertaining how anaphylaxis is diagnosed, and treated nationally and globally is an important preliminary step towards the development of worldwide strategic action plans in order to identify and solve key issues. In order to estimate the degree of awareness of anaphylaxis and evaluate the standards of care for the management of anaphylaxis, in this study we sought to assess the lifetime prevalence of anaphylaxis in France from general adult population as well as to gather on the characteristics of the reactions and its impact in quality of life and management.Methods: A prospective web-based survey was launched via Internet to a non-randomized, cross-sectional, convenience sample of French adult general population. The questions were related to the awareness regarding anaphylaxis and its management. Only fully completed questionnaires have been considered eligible for analysis.Results: From a total of 8003 responses, 56% of the French population surveyed mentioned being aware of the term “anaphylaxis” and 8% reported history of anaphylaxis. Respiratory manifestations associated with angioedema have been described by 34%, gastrointestinal symptoms by 17% and cognitive manifestations by 14%. However, the majority of cases (69%) have been treated in outpatients’ settings and only 43% have been referred to an allergist for further investigations. From those 130 patients (1.6%) who received auto-injectable adrenaline medical prescription, only 15% keep this device available for immediate use.Conclusion: The results of this pioneer study defining the rate of anaphylaxis, characteristics, and attitudes regarding anaphylaxis among a representative portion of the French population flag an urgent and pressing need for improved public health initiatives regarding anaphylaxis recognition and treatment, which may be managed in the forthcoming years due to implementation of national and international actions. Contexte : l’analyse de la façon dont l’anaphylaxie est diagnostiquée et traitée au niveau national et mondial est une étape préliminaire importante vers le développement de plans d’action stratégiques afin d’identifier et de résoudre les questions clés. Avec l’objectif d’estimer le degré de connaissance de l’anaphylaxie et d’évaluer les normes de soins pour sa prise en charge, nous avons cherché, dans cette étude, la prévalence vie-entière de l’anaphylaxie en France de la population générale adulte, les caractéristiques des réactions, son impact sur