Emergency physician perspectives on anaphylaxis observation times

Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that impacts a minimum of 1.6% of the general population and is responsible for approximately 0.4% of all emergency department (ED) admissions.1,2 Moreover, between 2008 and 2016, ED visits for anaphylaxis surged significantly, with a 3.2-fold increase for children and a 1.9-fold increase for adults.3 Research indicates that as many as 35.8% of patients receive epinephrine as part of their treatment for anaphylaxis in the ED.4 Following epinephrine treatment, determining observation time is challenging.