A third of people in England who have experienced a severe allergic reaction to food are not carrying live-saving adrenaline pens, analysis shows. Prescriptions for adrenaline auto injectors (AAIs) – devices given to those who are at risk of life-threatening reaction (anaphylaxis) – are also less common for people living in more deprived areas of the country, researchers from Imperial College London found. The study, published in the journal The Lancet Public Health, showed that between 2008 and 2018, only 975 of 1,524 children and young people and 1,346 of 2,456 adults had AAI prescriptions.
Dr Paul Turner, professor of paediatric allergy at Imperial College London’s National Heart & Lung Institute, who led the research, said there is an “urgent need” to “better support GPs and primary care staff” to care for patients at risk of severe food allergy. He said: “The most surprising finding is that 90% of patients are only looked after by GPs. “That means we need to make sure that staff working in primary care have the training and resources to provide the best care and advice to people with food allergy.
” Food allergy occurs when the immune system overreacts to certain foods, such as cows’ milk, peanuts, eggs or shellfish. In severe cases it can lead to anaphylaxis, which can cause swelling of the airways, breathing difficulties and cardiac arrest if not treated urgently. AAIs, which contain a fixed dose of adrenaline, are prescribed to people with allergi.