The new guideline focuses on the need for quick treatment and patient continuity of care across healthcare venues.
The Acute Anaphylaxis Clinical Care Level defines the ideal standard of clinical care for patients suffering anaphylaxis and prioritises treatment areas for doctors.
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) developed it to emphasise the need for rapid treatment and continuity of patient care across acute and general practice healthcare settings.
The new guideline is also being implemented against the background of increased numbers of admissions to hospital emergency rooms for the potentially lethal disease.
The new standard's clinical lead, The Commission's Clinical Director, Associate Professor Amanda Walker, said that the objective is to improve safer treatment for all anaphylactic patients.
She added that the standard tackles gaps in current patient care recommendations, including guaranteeing prompt adrenaline therapy and refining the mechanism for care transfer throughout the patient journey.
Adrenaline is the first-line therapy for anaphylaxis and should be given as soon as possible.
However, following discharge, a person who has suffered anaphylaxis remains susceptible in the community. Therefore, there must be a safe discharge and a clear transfer of care to the patient's primary care physician and immunologist.
In the industrialised world, Australia has one of the highest reported rates of hospital anaphylaxis admissions, with up to 20 individuals dying each year as a consequence of the illness.
Food allergies affect up to 10% of babies and 2% of adults, with insect venoms such as wasp and bee stings and certain medications also being frequent triggers.
A webinar with a panel of allergy specialists, including GP Joanne Simpson, will be conducted on Wednesday, November 24, at 1:00 p.m. AEDT to discuss what the new standard implies for healthcare providers and consumers. The panel will explore hurdles to recognising anaphylaxis, effective treatment, safe release back into the community, and best practice care after an anaphylactic event.
Along with doctors, the new clinical care standard has been created to provide critical information for persons at risk's family and caregivers, as well as the individual themselves.
Associate Professor Walker said that it is critical for persons at risk of anaphylaxis to understand how to manage their allergy, recognise symptoms, and use a personal adrenaline injector appropriately if necessary.
A new criterion in the national standard is that patients at risk of anaphylaxis have constant access to their prescription adrenaline injector.
Typically, people in hospitals and healthcare facilities do not have access to their own medications. This is a critical exception to guarantee that the adrenaline injector is always with the patient so that it may be used if necessary.
Dr. Preeti Joshi, a paediatric clinical immunology/allergy expert, and co-chair of the National Allergy Strategy believes the Standard will help prevent fatal errors.
She added that the revised Standard emphasises the significance of safe practices, such as ensuring a person with anaphylaxis does not get up or move, even after they have received adrenaline. This vital concern is sometimes missed whilst treating anaphylaxis.
She also said that experiencing or seeing anaphylaxis may be terrifying since symptoms can swiftly deteriorate.
The National Allergy Strategy, a collaboration between the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and consumer organisation Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia, supports and endorses the revised clinical treatment standard (A&AA).
