UK anaesthetists' perspectives and experiences of severe perioperative anaphylaxis: NAP6 baseline survey
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Kemp, HI
Cook, TM
Thomas, M
Harper, NJN
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background: There is limited information on UK anaesthetists’ perspectives and experiences of perioperative anaphylaxis. This baseline survey of the Sixth National Audit Project (NAP6) aimed to identify relevant departmental preparedness and practices, and individual experiences, perceptions and drug-avoidance patterns.
Methods: All anaesthetists in 356 UK NHS hospitals were invited to complete an electronic survey.
Results: 11 104 anaesthetists (77% crude response rate) from 341 (96%) hospitals responded. Most had immediate access to guidelines for anaphylaxis treatment (87%) and established referral pathways for investigation (82%), but a minority reported access to designated treatment packs (37%) or an anaphylaxis lead (35%). Anaesthetists reported 1734 cases of suspected perioperative anaphylaxis in 2014–5 of which 81% were referred for specialist investigation and 14% reported to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). In their career, 76% of respondents had seen a case of perioperative anaphylaxis (1:7.25 years of practice) and 4% reported a death (1:311 years of practice), equivalent to 2.3% of events being fatal. Agents most frequently perceived to cause anaphylaxis were antibiotics, particularly penicillins, and neuromuscular blocking agents, notably rocuronium. Suxamethonium and penicillins were avoided by a higher proportion of respondents than events attributed to these drugs whereas the converse was true for atracurium and teicoplanin.
Conclusions: This is the largest ever survey of anaesthetists’ practices and experiences relating to perioperative anaphylaxis. It identifies gaps in preparedness and referral for further investigation and to the UK MHRA. It provides important data about drugs implicated in such events and anaesthetists’ attitudes to anaphylaxis.
Methods: All anaesthetists in 356 UK NHS hospitals were invited to complete an electronic survey.
Results: 11 104 anaesthetists (77% crude response rate) from 341 (96%) hospitals responded. Most had immediate access to guidelines for anaphylaxis treatment (87%) and established referral pathways for investigation (82%), but a minority reported access to designated treatment packs (37%) or an anaphylaxis lead (35%). Anaesthetists reported 1734 cases of suspected perioperative anaphylaxis in 2014–5 of which 81% were referred for specialist investigation and 14% reported to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). In their career, 76% of respondents had seen a case of perioperative anaphylaxis (1:7.25 years of practice) and 4% reported a death (1:311 years of practice), equivalent to 2.3% of events being fatal. Agents most frequently perceived to cause anaphylaxis were antibiotics, particularly penicillins, and neuromuscular blocking agents, notably rocuronium. Suxamethonium and penicillins were avoided by a higher proportion of respondents than events attributed to these drugs whereas the converse was true for atracurium and teicoplanin.
Conclusions: This is the largest ever survey of anaesthetists’ practices and experiences relating to perioperative anaphylaxis. It identifies gaps in preparedness and referral for further investigation and to the UK MHRA. It provides important data about drugs implicated in such events and anaesthetists’ attitudes to anaphylaxis.
Date Issued
2017-05-12
Date Acceptance
2017-04-04
Citation
BRITISH JOURNAL OF ANAESTHESIA, 2017, 119 (1), pp.132-139
ISSN
0007-0912
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Start Page
132
End Page
139
Journal / Book Title
BRITISH JOURNAL OF ANAESTHESIA
Volume
119
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2017 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com. This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in British Journal of Anaesthesia following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version H. I. Kemp, T. M. Cook, M. Thomas, N. J. N. Harper; UK anaesthetists’ perspectives and experiences of severe perioperative anaphylaxis: NAP6 baseline survey, BJA: British Journal of Anaesthesia, Volume 119, Issue 1, 1 July 2017, Pages 132–139, is available online at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bja/aex124
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000404260400021&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Anesthesiology
adverse effects
anaesthesia
anaphylaxis
hypersensitivity
risk reduction behaviour
ALLERGY
1103 Clinical Sciences
Publication Status
Published