Incidence and clinical management of paediatric emergency presentations of anaphylaxis in Alberta.
Paediatric emergency department visits for anaphylaxis in Alberta quadrupled over 20 years.
Incidence and clinical management of paediatric emergency presentations of anaphylaxis in Alberta.
Anaphylaxis represents a growing burden on emergency services worldwide; however, long-term paediatric trends are poorly understood.
This study examined the incidence, clinical features, management, and outcomes of paediatric emergency department (emergency department) presentations for anaphylaxis in a western Canadian province and forecasted future visit rates.
This population-based retrospective cohort study used linked administrative health data for all paediatric (<18 years) emergency department presentations for anaphylaxis in Alberta, between 2004 and 2024.
anaphylaxis emergency department visits nearly quadrupled, with continued rise projected
Over the study period, 11,012 anaphylaxis visits were identified (median age 8 years [IQR, 3 to 14]; 57.9% male).
Food was the most common trigger (71.1%), although nearly 1 in 4 had no clear cause.
Hospitalization was infrequent (3.7%); however, it was significantly associated with higher triage acuity (aOR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.90), higher comorbidity scores (aOR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.48), and drug-related triggers (aOR = 2.45; 95% CI: 1.60 to 3.75).
Paediatric presentations to Alberta EDs for anaphylaxis have quadrupled and are forecasted to continue increasing. First-line epinephrine is severely underutilized, especially prehospital.
Further studies are needed to identify factors underlying the observed sex differences and upward trajectories and bridge potential system and policy gaps in "Epi-Care."