School Board Policies on Prevention and Management of Anaphylaxis in İstanbul: Where Do We Stand?

Yıl 2016, Cilt: 33 Sayı: 5, 539 - 542, 01.09.2016

Ahmet Özen Perran Boran Fatih Torlak Elif Karakoç Aydıner Safa Barış Melda Karavuş İşıl Barlan

Öz

Aims: This study was carried out to identify the current status of prevention and management of anaphylaxis in school children with the main goal of establishing such an action plan. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Schools were randomly selected from 11 different regions of Istanbul. A questionnaire was filled out by 2596 teachers/school principals from 232 public schools. Results: A school safety committee was absent in 80% of elementary schools (ES) and 60.8% of preschools (PS). Although some form of health recording system was available in many schools, no such system was available in 24.5% of ESs and 10% of PSs. A specific inquiry for detecting children with food allergies was a routine practice in only 4% of ES and 10% of PS. Approximately 27% of teachers stated that monitoring children in school places was not possible at all times. Eighty four percent stated that no written anaphylaxis treatment protocol was available in their school and only around 2.3% in ES and 3.1% in PS stated that they would perform an epinephrine injection in the event of anaphylaxis. Conclusion: Our survey demonstrated critical gaps in the organization of schools for the management of children at risk of anaphylaxis. Data derived from this study would provide the initiative for legislators to review the current situation of school health policies along with the relevant authorities to establish school anaphylaxis guidelines.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Anaphylaxis, epinephrine, food allergy, school board policy

Kaynakça

• 1. Sicherer SH, Sampson HA. Food allergy: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2014;133:291-307. [CrossRef]
• 2. Orhan F, Karakas T, Çakır M, Aksoy A, Baki A, Gedik Y. Prevalence of immunoglobulin E mediated food allergy in 6-9 year old urban school children in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. Clin Exp Allergy 2009;39:1027-35. [CrossRef]
• 3. McIntyre CL, Sheetz AH, Carroll CR, Young MC. Administration of epinephrine for life-threatening allergic reactions in school settings. Pediatrics 2005;116:1134-40. [CrossRef]
• 4. Sicherer SH, Furlong TJ, DeSimone J, Sampson HA. The US Peanut and Tree Nut Allergy Registry: characteristics of reactions in schools and day care. J Pediatr 2001;138:560-5. [CrossRef]
• 5. AAAAI Board of Directors. Anaphylaxis in schools and other child-care settings. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1998;102:173-6. [CrossRef]
• 6. Baumgart K, Brown S, Gold M, Kemp A, Loblay R, Loh R, et al. ASCIA guidelines for prevention of food anaphylactic reactions in schools, preschools and child-care centres. J Paediatr Child Health 2004;40:669-71. [CrossRef]
• 7. Allen M, Binkley K, Chad Z, Dufresne C, Fischer D, Gold M, et al. Anaphylaxis in schools & other settings. Hamilton ON: Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2009.
• 8. Cicutto L, Julien B, Li NY, Nguyen-Luu NU, Butler J, Clarke A, et al. Comparing school environments with and without legislation for the prevention and management of anaphylaxis. Allergy 2012;67:131-7. [CrossRef]
• 9. Young MC, Munoz-Furlong A, Sicherer SH. Management of food allergies in schools: a perspective for allergists. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2009;124:175-82. [CrossRef]
• 10. Behrmann J. Ethical principles as a guide in implementing policies for the management of food allergies in schools. J Sch Nurs 2010;26:183-93. [CrossRef]
• 11. Houle CR, Leo HL, Clark NM. A developmental, community, and psychosocial approach to food allergies in children. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2010;10:381-6. [CrossRef]
• 12. Kastner M, Harada L, Waserman S. Gaps in anaphylaxis management at the level of physicians, patients, and the community: a systematic review of the literature. Allergy 2010;65:435-44. [CrossRef]
• 13. Bansal PJ, Marsh R, Patel B, Tobin MC. Recognition, evaluation, and treatment of anaphylaxis in the child care setting. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2005;94:55-9. [CrossRef]
• 14. Cicutto L, Julien B, Li NY, Nguyen-Luu NU, Butler J, Clarke A, et al. Comparing school environments with and without legislation for the prevention and management of anaphylaxis. Allergy 2012;67:131-7. [CrossRef]
• 15. Nowak-Wegzyn A, Connover-Walker MK, Wood RA. Food-allergic reactions in school and preschools. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2001;155:790-5 [CrossRef]
• 16. Rhim GS, McMorris MS. School readiness for children with food allergies. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2001;86:192-6 [CrossRef]
• 17. Sapien RE, Allen A. Emergency preparation in schools: a snapshot of a rural state. Pediatr Emerg Care 2001;17:329-33 [CrossRef]
• 18. Wu F, Hill J. An allergy and asthma educational outreach program for school nurses and staff. Allergy Asthma Proc 1998;19:307-10. [CrossRef]
• 19. Ercan H, Ozen A, Karatepe H, Berber M, Cengizlier R. Primary school teachers’ knowledge about and attitudes toward anaphylaxis. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2012;23:428-32. [CrossRef]