title: [Status of children with food allergy who were prescribed an adrenaline autoinjector (epipen)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Both to evaluate the characteristics of food allergic children who were prescribed an adrenaline autoinjector and to assess whether it was used appropriately.
  
  
  METHODS
  The characteristics of food allergic children who were prescribed an adrenaline autoinjector were investigated. Among these children, those who experienced severe anaphylaxis due to inadvertent ingestion were analyzed, as was whether and how the autoinjector was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An adrenaline autoinjector was prescribed to 139 food allergic children, most often for egg, followed by milk and wheat allergies. Concomitant bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, and food allergies of other causes were present in 49 (35.3%), 68 (48.9%), and 102 cases (73.4%), respectively. The most frequent organ involved in anaphylaxis was the skin (94.2%), followed by the respiratory (78.5%), digestive (28.1%), and circulatory (24.8%) organs. A total of 24 cases experienced severe anaphylaxis after the prescription; however, the autoinjector was used in only six (25%) of those cases. The reasons given for lack of use included fear of use, unavailability of the autoinjector, prior improvement with use of an oral antihistamine and immediate visit to a hospital emergency department in eight, five, three and one case, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the autoinjector is often not used appropriately after prescription. Therefore, children and their caregivers require more effective guidance on proper adrenaline autoinjector use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Shiga Medical Center for Children; Kumiko Allergy Clinic.
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mukaida
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Shiga Medical Center for Children.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kusunoki
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Shiga Medical Center for Children.
authors.forename: Fumihito
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nozaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Shiga Medical Center for Children.
authors.forename: Ikuko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hiejima
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Shiga Medical Center for Children.
authors.forename: Anri
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Shiga Medical Center for Children.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kumada
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Shiga Medical Center for Children.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyajima
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Shiga Medical Center for Children.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujii
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000295:instrumentation; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D004837:Epinephrine