Australia: anaphylaxis admissions up 50% in 14 years, and rising

[sarah darwins]

Australians are increasingly being hospitalised for severe and life-threatening allergic reactions, known as anaphylaxis, researchers from the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne have found.

Researchers analysed 14 years of hospital data to 2012, extracting admissions for anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis admission rates increased by 50% over this period, they found. Rates increased rapidly in the final half of the period, with 5.6 people per 100,000 hospitalised with food anaphylaxis in 2005, compared with 8.2 by 2012.

It revealed an urgent need to research and implement strategies thought to prevent food allergies from developing, and to prevent those with allergies from being exposed to triggers, the study published on Wednesday in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology concluded.

A co-author of the study, Professor Mimi Tang, said the researchers also found the most rapid growth in admission rates came from the five to 14-year-old age group, which had increased 110% by 2012 . One in every five hospital admissions in this age group was to treat anaphylaxis.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/society/...-life-threatening-allergic-reactions-up-by-50

So, what does it take to convince the human race that something appears to be up, immune-wise?

 

[msf]

I think the death rate would be a better indication, this could just be because of increased awareness.

 

[A.B.]

I think the death rate would be a better indication, this could just be because of increased awareness.

Anaphylaxis is hard to miss.

 

[msf]

Is it black and white though? I've had facial swelling, increased heart rate and feeling of impending doom, but not the closing of the airways. I wasn't taken to hospital in the end, but in other countries I guess I might have been.

 

[sarah darwins]

I think the death rate would be a better indication, this could just be because of increased awareness.

I don't think there's much argument about whether allergy rates are increasing. Many and varied studies have found the same thing. The question for me is what are we doing about it? And the answer to that is "not much".

The amount of research is pitiful in light of the potential significance of the problem. We hominids have spent 6 or 7 million years evolving a highly tuned autoimmune system. Suddenly it seems to be misfiring quite badly. I feel we should be doing rather more to figure out why.

 

[msf]

I haven't seen those studies. I think part of it may be from an increase in allergies, but I think a significant part will be a result of increased awareness. I read that peanut allergy was first described in 1988. EBV was first described in 1969. I am sure both have been present in human populations for much longer than that.

 

[sarah darwins]

I haven't seen those studies. I think part of it may be from an increase in allergies, but I think a significant part will be a result of increased awareness. I read that peanut allergy was first described in 1988. EBV was first described in 1969. I am sure both have been present in human populations for much longer than that.

I've seen a lot, but it's not much use to you because of course I can't remember where or when!

I keep thinking I must start being a bit more organised with bookmarks etc. But then, I've been thinking that for about 20 years.

 

[msf]

Well, don't worry, I could find out for myself if I wasn't lazy.

 

[alex3619]

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/society/...-life-threatening-allergic-reactions-up-by-50

So, what does it take to convince the human race that something appears to be up, immune-wise?

If it didn't happen to them, it didn't happen or doesn't matter?