National best practice guidelines for anaphylaxis prevention and management in Australian schools

Background

Anaphylaxis prevention and management in the school setting is an important health and safety issue as the rates of food allergy in children continue to increase.

Objective

We describe the development and review of the Australian National Allergy Council best practice guidelines for anaphylaxis prevention and management in schools.

Methods

Developed in consultation with key stakeholders in health and education settings, the best practice guidelines incorporate 7 key recommendations for anaphylaxis prevention and management: an allergy aware approach; anaphylaxis management policy and plans; allergy documentation; emergency response; staff training; community and student education; and postincident management and incident reporting.

Results

An audit of Australian state and territory education department anaphylaxis guidelines, policies, and procedures indicates that most align with best practice recommendations.

Conclusions

Ongoing reporting and evaluation of anaphylaxis incidents across all 8 jurisdictions in Australia helps us evaluate the implementation of these measures in the school setting.