Hospitals need to have clear rules to ensure follow-up care for emergency patients treated for anaphylaxis – a severe allergic reaction, according to guidance published today.
The number of hospital admissions for this problem has increased by seven times in England in the last 20 years – and about 20 deaths a year are recorded as being caused by it.
According to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, emergency treatment is not always followed by ensuring the causes of the problem are identified and tackled.
The guidance says that hospitals that provide emergency treatment for suspect anaphylaxis should have separate referral pathways for adults and children.
All patients – or their parents – should be offered an adrenaline injector before an appointment with an allergy specialist is arranged, they say.
And clinicians should ensure they record the circumstances immediately before the illness to help identify what caused it.
Dr Fergus Macbeth, of NICE, said: "Unfortunately people who have an acute episode of anaphylaxis often do not have their condition managed appropriately once the acute episode has been treated. The reasons for this include anaphylaxis not being recognised, or not being differentiated from less severe reactions. Also, people may not be referred to a specialist.
"This can reduce the likelihood of the person receiving a definitive diagnosis and can lead to anxiety, inappropriate management and recurrent episodes.
"It can also result in avoidable costs for the NHS and increase the need for acute care."
Mandy East, of the Anaphylaxis Campaign, said: "For the patient, an anaphylactic reaction is extremely worrying and it is essential that specialist care is offered in order for a diagnosis to be confirmed and for the risk of recurrent episodes to be reduced."
Leave a Reply