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Introduction: The drug provocation test (DPT) is the gold standard for the drug allergy workup; however, it is not free from severe adverse reactions. Our aim was to obtain robust data that predict a reaction during or after the DPT at the first contact with the patient in the allergy outpatient clinic. Methods: The population of this cross-sectional study comprised all patients undergoing a drug allergy workup (clinical assessment, specific IgE, or skin tests, or DPT) at University Hospital Fundacion Alcorcon in 2016. DPTs were performed until therapeutic doses were reached, and late reactions were checked. The clinical disorders assessed in our study were classified mainly as absence of allergic reactions, morbilliform rash, urticaria, anaphylaxis, and other cutaneous disorders. Results: Physicians from the Allergy Unit programmed drug allergy workups in 977 patients (median age, 52 years; women, 64.54%). DPTs were not performed for 165 drugs involved in the reactions. Patients who did not undergo DPT were older than patients who did (positive or negative) (p = 0.0001). Positive DPT results were detected in 6.00% of DPTs performed, and most were for amoxicillin and metamizole (15–25% each). Multinomial logistic regression showed that positive reactions were more probable after DPT if the same clinical disorder was diagnosed at the first visit, including the episodes not considered allergic episodes (OR = 0.2, p < 0.001). Conclusion: We conclude that clinical practice in the diagnosis of drug allergy in our Allergy Department is safe, without over-diagnosis.

Background: Fatal anaphylaxis is very rare, with an incidence ranging from 0.5 to 1 deaths per million person-years. Objective: Based on a systematic review, we aimed to explain differences in the reported incidence of fatal anaphylaxis based on the methodological and demographic factors addressed in the various studies. Methods: We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Web of Science for relevant retrospective and prospective cohort studies and registry studies that had assessed the anaphylaxis mortality rate for the population of a country or for an administrative region. The research strategy was based on combining the term “anaphylaxis” with “death”, “study design”, and “main outcomes” (incidence). Results: A total of 46 studies met the study criteria and included 16,541 deaths. The range of the anaphylaxis mortality rate for all causes of anaphylaxis was 0.002-2.51 deaths per million person-years. Fatal anaphylaxis due to food (range 0.002-0.29) was rarer than deaths due to drugs (range 0.004-0.56) or Hymenoptera venom (range 0.02-0.61). The frequency of deaths due to anaphylaxis by drugs increased during the study period (IRR per year, 1.02; 95%CI, 1.00-1.04). We detected considerable heterogeneity in almost all of the meta-analyses carried out. Conclusion: The incidence of fatal anaphylaxis is very low and differs according to the various subgroups analyzed. The studies were very heterogeneous. Fatal anaphylaxis due to food seems to be less common than fatal anaphylaxis due to drugs or Hymenoptera venom.

Background and objective Asthma is very prevalent in all grades of severity of anaphylaxis. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been associated with the severity of anaphylaxis. Objective: We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the influence of respiratory diseases on the severity of anaphylaxis. Methods We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Web of Science for observational studies. The target studies were those that compared the severity of anaphylaxis between patients who had or did not have respiratory diseases. Results A total of 13 studies assessed the severity of anaphylaxis in respiratory disease. Respiratory disease increased the severity of anaphylaxis (OR, 1.87; 95%CI, 1.30-2.70), as did asthma (OR, 1.89; 95%CI, 1.26-2.83). For the meta-analysis of all studies (adjusted and nonadjusted), COPD increased the severity of anaphylaxis (OR, 2.47; 95%CI, 1.46-4.18). In the case of asthma studies, only 1 study assessed the influence of severity of asthma on severity of anaphylaxis. Conclusions Evidence showing that respiratory disease increases the severity of anaphylaxis is low to moderate, although studies do not usually assess the importance of severity of asthma.

Although the clinical practice guidelines recommend continuous adjustment of asthma treatment and reducing the maintenance drugs when achieving control (step-down), there are few studies of standard clinical practice aimed at collecting information on the factors that determine step-down failure.To determine the factors that determine step-down failure in standard clinical practice of patients with moderate-severe asthma controlled by a combination of inhaled glucocorticoids and long-acting beta agonists.A multicentre retrospective study included 374 patients with moderate-severe asthma controlled with inhaled glucocorticoids and long-acting beta agonists for whom the physician indicated a step-down in 2016.The step-down failed in 41.7% of the patients. The following factors were related to failure: greater patient age (P=.006), presence of at least 2 comorbidities (P=.016), greater severity level (severe persistent vs. moderate persistent) (P.001), greater age at diagnosis (40 years) (P=.045), the higher the therapeutic step before (P=.003) and after the change (P.001), the shorter the time of improvement/control prior to the change (P=.019), lower FEVIn standard clinical practice conditions, step-down fails in a high percentage of patients, and the suggestion is to indicate step-down when the patient has had more than 6 months of disease control.

The objective of these guidelines is to ensure efficient and effective clinical practice. The panel of experts who produced this consensus document developed a research protocol based on a review of the literature. The prevalence of allergic reactions to iodinated contrast media (ICM) is estimated to be 1:170 000, that is, 0.05%-0.1% of patients undergoing radiologic studies with ICM (more than 75 million examinations per year worldwide). Hypersensitivity reactions can appear within the first hour after administration (immediate reactions) or from more than 1 hour to several days after administration (nonimmediate or delayed reactions). The risk factors for immediate reactions include poorly controlled bronchial asthma, concomitant medication (eg, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, ß-blockers, and proton-pump inhibitors), rapid administration of the ICM, mastocytosis, autoimmune diseases, and viral infections. The most common symptoms of immediate reactions are erythema and urticaria with or without angioedema, which appear in more than 70% of patients. Maculopapular rash is the most common skin feature of nonimmediate reactions (30%-90%). Skin and in vitro tests should be performed for diagnosis of both immediate and nonimmediate reactions. The ICM to be administered will therefore be chosen depending on the results of these tests, the ICM that induced the reaction (when known), the severity of the reaction, the availability of alternative ICM, and the information available on potential ICM cross-reactivity. Another type of contrast media, gadolinium derivatives, is used used for magnetic resonance imaging. Although rare, IgE-mediated reactions to gadolinium derivatives have been reported.

The objective of these guidelines is to ensure efficient and effective clinical practice. The panel of experts who produced this consensus document developed a research protocol based on a review of the literature.The prevalence of allergic reactions to iodinated contrast media (ICM) is estimated to be 1:170 000, that is, 0.05%-0.1% of patients undergoing radiologic studies with ICM (more than 75 million examinations per year worldwide). Hypersensitivity reactions can appear within the first hour after administration (immediate reactions) or from more than 1 hour to several days after administration (nonimmediate or delayed reactions). The risk factors for immediate reactions include poorly controlled bronchial asthma, concomitant medication (eg, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers, and proton-pump inhibitors), rapid administration of the ICM, mastocytosis, autoimmune diseases, and viral infections.The most common symptoms of immediate reactions are erythema and urticaria with or without angioedema, which appear in more than 70% of patients. Maculopapular rash is the most common skin feature of nonimmediate reactions (30%-90%).Skin and in vitro tests should be performed for diagnosis of both immediate and nonimmediate reactions. The ICM to be administered will therefore be chosen depending on the results of these tests, the ICM that induced the reaction (when known), the severity of the reaction, the availability of alternative ICM, and the information available on potential ICM cross-reactivity.Another type of contrast media, gadolinium derivatives, is used used for magnetic resonance imaging. Although rare, IgE-mediated reactions to gadolinium derivatives have been reported.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Studies assessing the severity of anaphylaxis lack a comprehensive approach to collecting data on comorbidities that may worsen prognosis. Objective: Using the Elixhauser score (a systematic index associated with longer stay, hospital charges, and mortality), we determined which comorbidities were associated with more severe anaphylaxis. METHODS We based our study on the Spanish Ministry of Health database of hospital discharges in Spain between 1997 and 2011. We constructed logistic regression models in which the dependent variables were outcomes related to greater severity (death, cardiac arrest, need for invasive mechanical ventilation or vasopressor drugs, admission to the intensive care unit, and length of stay) and the independent variables were the 30 comorbidities that comprise the Elixhauser score, age, sex, and main causes of anaphylaxis. RESULTS We found that a higher risk of severe anaphylaxis was associated (3 or more logistic regressions) with age >50 years or having experienced cardiac arrhythmia, coagulation disorder, associated fluid-electrolyte imbalance, chronic pulmonary disease, or Echinococcus anaphylaxis. Likewise, in the adjusted analysis, a higher Elixhauser score was associated with most of the outcomes analyzed for severity of anaphylaxis. CONCLUSIONS Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases increase the severity of anaphylaxis, and the resulting poor health status (represented as a higher Elixhauser score) is associated with more severe anaphylaxis.

Background: Only two studies have analyzed the incidence of anaphylaxis during admission to hospital. We have analyzed the incidence of anaphylaxis among hospitalized patients and determined the timing of and risk factors for episodes of anaphylaxis. Methods: Our study was performed between 1999 and 2005. We used the definition of anaphylaxis of the NIAID-FAAN symposium. Cases of anaphylaxis were extracted from an official database of discharge diagnoses coded according to the International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification, Ninth Revision (ICD-9-CM), Sixth Edition. Specific and generic codes related to anaphylaxis were chosen. This strategy revealed 83.3% (95% confidence interval, CI, 47–99%) of all episodes of anaphylaxis in a pilot study. The incidence of episodes of anaphylaxis and the hazard ratios were calculated for the different variables. Results: We observed a crude cumulative incidence of 1.5 episodes of anaphylaxis (95% CI, 0.9–1.9) in 5,000 admissions. The cumulative incidence according to the Standardized European Population was 1.6 cases in 5,000 admissions (95% CI, 0.8–2.3). Cox regression analysis showed that anaphylaxis occurs mainly in young people (0.97; 95% CI, 0.95–0.99) and its incidence differs according to the clinical unit. The Vascular Surgery Unit had the highest incidence rate (hazard ratio 7.7; 95% CI, 2.1–28.6). Males had a lower risk of suffering from anaphylaxis than females (0.5; 95% CI, 0.2–0.9). Conclusions: Anaphylaxis is a very rare event among hospitalized patients. Female gender, young age and admission to the Vascular Surgery Unit favored the occurrence of episodes of anaphylaxis among hospitalized patients.

Our objective was to ascertain the degree of adherence to recommendations made to patients with anaphylaxis, most of whom were attended in our allergy outpatient clinic.A questionnaire was sent to 1512 patients who had experienced anaphylaxis and completed by 887. The chosen definition of anaphylaxis was that of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network Symposium. We evaluated the prescription, purchase, and use of epinephrine auto-injectors and oral drugs, as well as the avoidance of allergens involved in previous anaphylaxis episodes.Most patients (94.53%) reported that they had received advice on avoidance of responsible allergens after their allergy workup. Epinephrine auto-injectors and oral drugs were prescribed according to the subtype of anaphylaxis. Only 30.74% of patients used the epinephrine auto-injector; 54.26% took oral medication. Most patients (88.3%) avoided the allergen.Despite general agreement that anaphylaxis occurring in the community should be treated with epinephrine auto-injectors, use of these devices to treat recurrences was low in our patients. Oral medication intake was more common than the epinephrine auto-injector in all subtypes. In order to increase adherence to epinephrine auto-injectors, it is necessary to think beyond the measures recommended during regular visits to allergy outpatient clinics.

Anaphylaxis is a potentially fatal condition, and many patients experience recurrence.We report the incidence of first recurrence of anaphylaxis in our series and examine the risk factors associated with recurrence.A validated questionnaire was sent to 1512 patients and completed by 887. The chosen definition of anaphylaxis was that of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network Symposium. We evaluated the incidence of first recurrence of anaphylaxis overall and by subtype (eg, drugs and foods) and attempted to determine associated risk factors.The total incidence rate of the first recurrence of anaphylaxis (same subtype) was 3.2 episodes per 100 person-years (95%CI, 2.83-3.63). Incidence was lower in drug anaphylaxis (2.0 episodes per 100 person-years) than in latex and food anaphylaxis (8.6 and 5.6 episodes per 100 person-years, respectively). Cox and ordinal logistic regression models revealed that a first recurrence was less likely with drug anaphylaxis than with food anaphylaxis. The risk of experiencing 1 or more recurrences was higher for foods, exercise, and idiopathic causes than for the other subtypes.The incidence rate for a first recurrence of the same subtype of anaphylaxis was 2 to 6 times lower than that published by other authors. Recurrence of anaphylaxis is more common in subtypes with an increased prevalence of atopy (food, idiopathic, latex) than in other subtypes (drugs, Anisakis). Consequently, particular attention should be paid to prevention and care in this population.

AIMS We describe a rare case of anaphylaxis and thrombocytopenia whose cause was heparin used during hemodialysis sessions. CASE REPORT A 77-year-old woman suffered five consecutive episodes of vomiting, tachypnea, wheezing or rales, immediately after initiating hemodialysis. In the first of these episodes, arterial pressure was undetectable. In all of the episodes there was evidence of the presence of hypoxia (always below 60 mmHg) and thrombocytopenia (always below l00,000/microl,, with partial platelets recovery among episodes. The episodes started immediately after hemodialysis sessions and heparin infusion; either sodium heparin or enoxaparin was used. Utilization of different filters was not able to stop the episodes. These were stopped when a switch from heparin to hirudin was tested. Tryptase levels, as a marker of mast cells activation and anaphylaxis, were not increased in two of the episodes which were assessed. IgG antibodies against heparin-PF4 complex was detected at high levels. DISCUSSION A diagnosis of concomitant anaphylaxis and thrombocytopenia caused by sodium heparin and a low-molecular weight heparin (enoxaparin) were assumed.