Management of anaphylaxis in primary care: Canadian expert consensus recommendations

Area of Science:

• Allergy and Immunology
• Clinical Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Anaphylaxis management is frequently suboptimal.
• A systematic review identified key gaps in current anaphylaxis care.
• Canadian allergy experts identified clinically important management gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop evidence-based recommendations for anaphylaxis management in primary care.
• To address physician-specific knowledge and practice behavior gaps.
• To improve the quality of care for patients experiencing anaphylaxis.

Main Methods:

• Nominal Group Technique (NGT) consensus methodology was employed.
• Physician gaps were prioritized through two rounds of rating and discussion.
• Recommendations were developed based on current anaphylaxis guidelines for identified gaps.

Main Results:

• Thirty physician gaps were categorized into knowledge and practice behaviors.
• Key knowledge gaps included anaphylaxis diagnosis and epinephrine auto-injector use.
• Important practice gaps involved delayed epinephrine administration and inadequate specialist referrals.

Conclusions:

• An educational resource was created for primary care physicians and allergists.
• The resource aims to enhance understanding and management of anaphylaxis.
• Future steps include testing findings in primary care settings and developing further management tools.