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JACI Highlights - November 2008The etiology and incidence of anaphylaxis in Rochester, Minnesota: A report from the Rochester Epidemiology ProjectWyatt W. Decker, MD; Ronna L. Campbell, MD, PhD; Veena Manivannan, MBBS; Anuradha Luke, MD; Jennifer L. St. Sauver, PhD; Amy Weaver, MS; M. Fernanda Bellolio, MD; Eric J. Bergstralh, MS; Latha G. Stead, MD; James T. C. Li, MD, PhD
Anaphylaxis is a serious, potentially life-threatening, allergic reaction with rapid onset of symptoms affecting the whole body. The incidence of anaphylaxis and its trends over time have important implications for public health. However, estimates of the incidence of anaphylaxis vary because no standard definition of anaphylaxis is consistently used in keeping medical records.
In an article released online by The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Decker and colleagues conducted a population-based study to determine the incidence and cause of anaphylaxis. They analyzed the medical records of Rochester, MN, patients over a 10-year period. The researchers found that the overall incidence rate of anaphylaxis was double the rates that had been previously reported, and their data suggests that anaphylaxis episodes increased in the 10 years between 1990 and 2000.
The mean age for an anaphylaxis incident was 29.3 years and the triggers for anaphylaxis were ingested foods (33.2%), insect sting (18.5%) and medication (13.7%). Other causes included cats, latex, cleaning agents, environmental allergens and exercise (for a total of 9%). The remaining cases had unknown causes.
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