Physicians Working At Different Clinical Settings: Can They Recognize and Manage Anaphylaxis?

Abstract

Anaphylaxis is defined as a severe hypersensitivity reaction that can cause sudden onset and death. Therefore, it is vital that the diagnosis is made and the timely administration of epinephrine. In this study, it was aimed to determine the knowledge and attitudes of the physicians in Edirne city center regarding the diagnosis and treatment of anaphylaxis. The study was designed as cross sectional survey. Physicians were visited in their institutions. A written questionnaire was applied face-to-face and it included questions about diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis. A total of 347 physician agreed to participate in the study. 43.5% of the physicians did not read any literature, book chapters or guidelines about the diagnosis criteria. Only 16.7% of responders knew all sign and symptoms of anaphylaxis. Twenty eight percent of physicians knew that correct route and dose of epinephrine administration. Associated factors with the knowledge about correct dose and route of epinephrine administration were the number of encounters with anaphylaxis cases and presence of treatment scheme in the instutition; OR (95% CI) were 3.520 (1.879-6.593) and 1.961 (1.168-3.290) respectively. 45.5% of the responders knew that there are no absolute contraindications to administer epinephrine in the case of anaphylactic shock. The study revealed that, knowledge of physicians relating diagnosis, treatment and management of anaphylaxis is unsatisfactory in our city. We think that it would be beneficial to provide physicians with in-service training regarding the diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis.