Prospective evaluation of an anaphylaxis education mini-handout: the AAAAI Anaphylaxis Wallet Card

Vivian Hernandez-Trujillo; F Estelle R Simons

doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2012.11.004

Prospective evaluation of an anaphylaxis education mini-handout: the AAAAI Anaphylaxis Wallet Card

J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2013 Mar;1(2):181-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2012.11.004. Epub 2013 Jan 26.

Authors

Vivian Hernandez-Trujillo¹, F Estelle R Simons²

Affiliations

¹ Director, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Miami Children's Hospital, Miami, Fla. Electronic address: vivian.hernandez-trujillo@mch.com.
² Department of Pediatrics & Child Health, Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

PMID: 24565457
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2012.11.004

Abstract

Background: Few anaphylaxis education materials have been prospectively evaluated in randomized controlled trials.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Anaphylaxis Wallet Card (AAAAI-AWC) as an anaphylaxis education mini-handout for health care professionals.

Methods: We performed a randomized controlled study of the AAAAI-AWC with residents in general pediatrics at Miami Children's Hospital. Participants in the intervention group completed a pretest about anaphylaxis, heard a 3-minute PowerPoint presentation based on the AAAAI-AWC, reviewed the AAAAI-AWC, and discussed it with the presenter. After this, participants took a post-test immediately and a follow-up test 4 weeks later. Participants in the control group took the pretest, were handed an AAAAI-AWC, studied it briefly, then took the post-test immediately and the follow-up test 4 weeks later.

Results: Fifty-five residents participated. Regardless of the amount of time spent studying the AAAAI-AWC, when the pretests were compared with the post-tests and follow-up tests, residents in both the intervention and control groups were more likely to recognize anaphylaxis symptoms (P < .05), name asthma as the most common comorbid disease in children with fatal or near-fatal anaphylaxis (P < .05), and recall the names of epinephrine auto injectors (P < .05) and the epinephrine doses available in these auto injectors (P < .05). When the pretests were compared with the post-tests and the follow-up tests, residents in the intervention group were more likely than controls to identify the body organ systems involved in severe or fatal anaphylaxis correctly (P < .05).

Conclusion: The AAAAI-AWC is a practical, concise anaphylaxis education mini-handout for pediatric residents, a time-challenged group of health care professionals.

Keywords: Action plan; Acute systemic allergic reaction; Adrenaline; Anaphylaxis; Anaphylaxis education; Epinephrine; Food allergy.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anaphylaxis / diagnosis*
Child
Humans
Internship and Residency
Pediatrics / education*
Prospective Studies