Dx/Mgmt Anaphylaxis

Posted on Aug 23, 2011 in Expired CME | 7 comments

Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Anaphylaxis: Insights for the Primary Care Practitioner

Program Overview

Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that results in an estimated 30,000 emergency department visits annually. Although clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis exist, several studies suggest that anaphylaxis is often underdiagnosed. Primary care clinicians play an important role in the diagnosis of anaphylaxis, as they have long-term access to patients who may be at risk for anaphylaxis.  Although injectable epinephrine is the globally recognized first-line treatment choice for anaphylaxis, it remains underutilized. Other therapies, such as antihistamines or corticosteroids, do not prevent or treat anaphylactic reactions. Misconceptions that limit the use of epinephrine may result in delayed treatment of an anaphylactic episode, which could result in potentially life-threatening consequences to the patient.

This program will review guideline-based strategies for the accurate diagnosis of anaphylaxis, including identification of patient-specific risk factors. Additionally, the role of injectable epinephrine as first-line therapy for the management of anaphylaxis will be examined. A review of available epinephrine auto-injectors and available features that may improve safe and expeditious use will also be conducted.

Learning Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to

1. Implement guideline-based strategies for the accurate diagnosis of anaphylaxis, including identification of patient-specific risk factors
2. Recognize patients who are appropriate candidates for an epinephrine auto-injector to treat anaphylaxis
3. Identify essential characteristics of epinephrine auto-injectors and elements of patient education that may improve expeditious and safe use of epinephrine at the onset of anaphylaxis

Accreditation/Designation Statement

Primary Care Network is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Physicians: Primary Care Network designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nonphysicians: All other healthcare professionals will be issued a certificate of participation.

 

Target Audience

This activity is targeted to all physicians and other healthcare professionals who treat patients with anaphylaxis.

Release Date: August 23, 2011
Expiration Date: August 23, 2012

Medium: Online CME (slides/audio)

Acknowledgment of Commercial Support

This activity was developed from the live Best Practices in Primary Care™ program held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 10, 2011, and is funded by Dey Pharma.

Content for this activity developed by Integrity Continuing Education.

Method of Participation

To receive CME credit for this activity, participant must read the CME information (including the learning objectives and disclosures) and review the entire activity (slides and audio). After finishing the activity, participant must complete the post-test, evaluation, and all required personal information. To receive CME certificate participant will need to pass the post-test with 70% accuracy or better.

Post-test and Evaluation

After completing this activity, participant should click on the Post-test button at the end of the activity. If participant receives less than 70% on the post-test, participant should return to the beginning of the activity to review the activity again. After successful completion of the post-test, participant will be asked to fill out an evaluation form and prompted to print the CME certificate. Participant should PLEASE be ready to print certificate at this time.

Statement of Disclosure and Independence

It is the policy of Primary Care Network (PCN) to ensure all its sponsored educational activities are planned, developed, and conducted in accordance with the ACCME’s Essential Areas and Policies. In accordance with ACCME requirements, PCN has Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Policies that are designed to ensure that PCN sponsored educational activities are fair balanced, independent, evidence-based, and based on scientific rigor.

Primary Care Network’s Resolution of Personal Conflicts of Interest (COI) Policy aims to ensure that all conflicts are resolved prior to the activity, content is developed and presented free of commercial bias, and is in the interest of promoting improvements or quality in healthcare. All individuals who are in a position to influence and/or control content of a PCN sponsored activity are required to disclose to the participants any real or apparent conflict of interest related to the activity. The educational content is also reviewed for independence and content validation by an independent external clinical reviewer and internal clinical reviewer. Independence is also monitored through the activity and overall program evaluation process.

The opinions, ideas, recommendations, and perspectives expressed in the accompanying presentations in this Primary Care Education activity are those of the activity authors and presenting faculty only and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, ideas, recommendations, or perspectives of their affiliated institutions, Primary Care Network, Primary Care Education, Advisory Boards and Consultants, or the activity’s commercial supporters.

Faculty and Disclosures

Stuart W. Stoloff, MD, FAAAAI, FAAFP
Clinical Professor
Department of Family & Community Medicine
University of Nevada School of Medicine
Reno, Nevada

Dr. Stoloff is on the speaker’s bureau for Dey Pharma and Merck & Co. He is on the advisory board and is also a consultant for AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Dey Pharma, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co, Novartis, and Sunovion.

Planning Committee and Disclosures

Sean M. Gregory, PhD
Medical Director
Integrity Continuing Education, Inc.
Tinton Falls, New Jersey

Mr. Gregory has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Phil Lieberman, MD
Clinical Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Divisions of Allergy and Immunology
University of Tennessee College of Medicine
Memphis, Tennessee

Dr. Lieberman is on the speaker’s bureau for Dey Pharma, Ista, Novartis, and Teva. He is on the advisory board for Dey Pharma, Genentech, Ista, sanofi-aventis, and Teva. Dr. Lieberman is also a consultant for Genentech.

Review Committee Disclosure

In accordance with PCN policy, all content is reviewed by external independent peer reviewers for balance, objectivity, and commercial bias.  The peer reviewers, staff, and other individuals who control content have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Unlabeled Use Declaration

During their presentation(s), faculty may discuss an unlabeled use or an investigational use not approved for a commercial product. Each faculty member is required to disclose this information to the audience when referring to an unlabeled or investigational use.

This activity has expired and is no longer available for CME; however, we hope you still enjoy the education.

If you are using a mobile device, this activity may not view properly.