title: Anaphylaxis: a one-year survey on Medical Emergency Service in Liguria (Italy).
abstract: Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening, generalized or systemic hypersensitivity reaction. The diagnosis is mainly based on clinical ground. This study aimed at evaluating the records of phone calls and medical visits for anaphylaxis occurred in Region Liguria during 2013. The phone call is managed in each headquarter, and classified according to a level of care intensity and a presumed level of criticality, according to established criteria. Criticality is then re-evaluated (detected criticality) at the end of medical visit, following the same score adding the black code defining died patients. Most of the phone calls (553) to the MES were recorded in summer (37.4%). Anaphylaxis was confirmed in about half of patients. There was a fair agreement between presumed and detected criticality (k=0.322, p<0.001). In addition, 530 patients (95.8%) were transported to Emergency Room. In conclusion, the present study shows that anaphylaxis represents a serious and relevant medical problem in the general population at any age, and should always be carefully managed.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, IRCCS - Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruffoni
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, IRCCS - Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Furgani
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Dpt, Genoa University, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schiavetti
authors.affiliation: Medicine Department, IRCCS - Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino, Genoa, Italy. Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132 Genoa, Italy Phone: + 39 010 35 33 8120 Fax: + 39 010 35 38 664. E-mail: gio.cip@libero.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciprandi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016638:Critical Illness; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012621:Seasons; D013689:Telephone; D013997:Time Factors; D014187:Transportation of Patients; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anaphylaxis; Liguria; Medical emergency service