Journal of food allergy最新文献

Background: Oral food challenge (OFC) remains the criterion standard diagnostic procedure for food allergy. Although the need for OFCs has increased, some allergists may not perform them due to the risk for adverse events and lack of backup resources.

Objective: The study aimed to elucidate the frequency of reactions in which emergency backup resources were used and reported on various challenge outcomes at a tertiary pediatric hospital.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed children and young adults (ages, 0-21 years) who completed OFCs in 2013-2018 at Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital. Demographics, atopic history, culprit food, reaction history, and diagnostic testing as well as challenge details and outcomes were collected and analyzed.

Results: A total of 1269 challenges of 812 unique patients ages 5 months to 21 years were reviewed. More than half of challenges were performed in patients with a history of a reaction and positive testing result before challenge. The foods with the highest proportion of allergic outcomes were egg, sesame, and baked egg. More than one-third of challenge reactions were grade 3 or 4 anaphylaxis when using a food-induced anaphylaxis grading scale. Epinephrine was used for reactions in 7.2% of all challenges. Reactions in five challenges (0.4%) prompted utilization of backup emergency resources.

Conclusion: On review of nearly 1300 OFCs, emergency backup resources were rarely used, despite a large proportion of moderate-to-severe reactions. The need for backup resources during food challenges is rare, which suggests that most typical allergy offices are able to treat OFC reactions.

Background: U.S. national emergency was declared in mid-March 2020 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Subsequently, a period of stay-at-home orders, regulatory changes, evolving medical recommendations, and food supply chain disruptions occurred. There is little published research on how such changes affected food allergy management for children with this diagnosis.

Objective: The study goal was to identify parent perspectives with regard to if and/or how pandemic-related regulatory changes and evolving medical recommendations have affected food allergy management.

Methods: A survey was distributed to parents of children with food allergy. An electronic Internet forms survey link was available for completion during July 2020. Data were presented as descriptive statistics, cleaned, and coded into a spreadsheet before analysis. Frequencies and percentage were calculated to describe participants' characteristics and responses.

Results: Of 377 responses, 359 met inclusion criteria. Concerns about COVID-19 exposure were expressed in 65.7% about accessing an emergency department and 73.6% had school reentry concerns; 66% had not discussed recommended anaphylaxis management algorithm changes with a provider; 85.8% had not discussed the temporary U.S. Food and Drug Administration food labeling policy with a provider. Most (62%) reported shortages of preferred safe food brands. 62% spent more time cooking safe foods from scratch. With regard to the recommendation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for classroom dining, 57.7% planned to request modifications. With regard to the CDC's recommendation to use inhalers versus nebulizers, 37.7% had not discussed the topic with a provider. Ninety-two written comments were analyzed and grouped into seven themes.

Conclusion: New pandemic-related regulations, food supply chain disruptions, and evolving medical recommendations resulted in intensified burdens for respondents, including the increased time needed to complete food allergy management and school reentry concerns. Study results can inform clinical team members (e.g., physicians, nurses, dieticians) of effects that pandemic-related changes may have on this patient population, with subsequent consideration of patient-specific screening, education, and shared decision-making with regard to risk mitigation needs.