title: Extremely low prevalence of epinephrine autoinjectors in high-risk food-allergic adolescents in Dutch high schools.
abstract: The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of probable food allergy in adolescents aged 11-20 and to examine the frequency of epinephrine autoinjector (EAI) ownership among high-risk individuals. Adolescents were screened followed by a more detailed telephone questionnaire inquiring about suspected food(s), symptoms, diagnosis, and use of an EAI. The participating adolescents were classified as probably or unlikely to be food-allergic. The need for an EAI was assessed. In total, 2284 adolescents completed the screening questionnaire, of which 396 indicated food to be a problem and 168 agreed to be interviewed. Forty-eight adolescents were classified as probably food-allergic, of which eight were not aware of their food allergy. Twenty-three adolescents were considered candidates for an EAI, whereas only two of them had been prescribed this medication. The calculated questionnaire-based prevalence of EAI need was 3.0% (minimal prevalence at least 1.0%), whereas the EAI ownership was 0.09%. In conclusion, we found an alarming under prescription of EAIs in school-going adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. b.m.j.flokstra@med.umcg.nl
authors.forename: Bertine M J
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Flokstra-de Blok
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doriene van Ginkel
authors.forename: Emmy M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Roerdink
authors.forename: Maartje A J M
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kroeze
authors.forename: Ashling A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Stel
authors.forename: Gerbrich N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: van der Meulen
authors.forename: Anthony E J
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Dubois
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D011153:Population; D055656:Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk; D012656:Self-Help Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004837:Epinephrine