Incidence of Anaphylaxis Higher Than Previousl...( New Study Indicates Food Allergies Se...),Health

New Study Indicates Food Allergies Send 50,000 Americans to the Emergency Room Annually

FAIRFAX, Va., Dec. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new study from the Mayo Clinic published in the December issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI) indicates a higher incidence of anaphylactic reactions than previously reported.

In the study, entitled "The etiology and incidence of anaphylaxis in Rochester, Minnesota," Wyatt W. Decker, M.D., chief of emergency medical departments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and his team report that there were 50 emergency room visits per 100,000 population per year caused by anaphylaxis. In addition, the researchers found that the incidence rate of anaphylaxis increased significantly from 1990 to 2000, echoing results reported in studies conducted in the U.K. and Australia.

One third of the anaphylaxis cases Dr. Decker and his team identified were caused by a food allergy reaction. These findings give added urgency to the need for improved treatment and education to help people with food allergies avoid this life-threatening condition.

"We don't think the incidence of anaphylaxis has doubled, but through the Rochester Epidemiology Project we were able to much more meticulously identify cases which in other studies might not have been identified," says Dr. Decker. "So this study gives us a more accurate picture of the magnitude of the problem. Still, we did see about a 10 percent increase in cases of anaphylaxis over the 10-year period of the study."

Dr. Decker and his team identified all cases of anaphylaxis between 1990 and 2000 in Olmsted County, Minn. The researchers also gathered information on age, gender, race, cause of anaphylaxis, presence of other allergic diseases, and symptoms.

• Children ages 0 to 19 are at the highest risk for anaphylaxis.'/>"/>