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Anaphylaxis in America

An AAFA study was printed in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI). It found that anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction, is common in the U.S.

It occurs in about one in 50 Americans. Many believe the rate is higher than that. It is probably closer to one in 20.

The article, Anaphylaxis in America: The Prevalence and Characteristics of Anaphylaxis in the United States, is based on this AAFA study. It is one of the most accurate studies done on life-threatening reactions. The public and patients both took the survey. It found that almost one in 50 Americans could have severe reactions. This study also found that many patients are not ready for this type of reaction.

Doctor Survey

In the study, doctors were also surveyed. This study found that many doctors think differently about severe reactions.

Five types of doctors took the survey:

Allergy/immunology doctors (half treated children and half had internal medicine training)
Emergency doctors
Family doctors
Pediatricians (doctors who treat children)

This study shows that doctors who care for at-risk patients need training too. This is important for primary care and emergency doctors.