SELECTED ARTICLES FROM THE RECENT LITERATURE 2008 7/9/2008 A World Allergy Organization Statement Regarding the Use of Epinephrine for Treatment of Anaphylaxis Summary The authors of this paper examined the role of epinephrine in the treatment of anaphylaxis, with special reference to risk/benefit ratio and the well-recognized fact that epinephrine is often underutilized. They concluded that there was no "absolute contraindication to epinephrine administration in anaphylaxis" and that "all subsequent therapeutic interventions depend on the initial response to epinephrine." They also concluded that epinephrine, as previously noted, is currently underused and dosed suboptimally. They felt that the "therapeutic benefits of epinephrine exceed the risks when given in appropriate intramuscular doses." Reference Kemp SF, Lockey RF, and Simons FER. Epinephrine: The drug of choice for anaphylaxis. A statement of the World Allergy Organization. Allergy 2008; 63:1061-1070.   © Copyright 1997-2008 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology All rights reserved