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National Agricultural Library
U.S. Department of Agriculture
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Fatal Asthma and Food Allergy

Objective

This research aims to determine the incidence and the trigger factors of fatal acute asthma in subjects up to the age of 32.

More information

Cases where individuals under the age of 32 have died from acute asthma will be investigated, with a free service being offered to coroners to identify a possible allergic cause for the death.

<p>Medical history and the circumstances of the fatal attack will be collected via the Coroner's Officer investigating the death. Autopsy and any available pre-mortem blood samples will be analysed for mast cell and basophil-specific proteins and specific IgE against any suspected allergens.

<p>Deaths from acute asthma outnumber those from food anaphylaxis by 60:1. However, an unknown number of these fatal asthma attacks may be actually triggered by food allergy. Since asthma is regarded as a natural cause of death, the cause of the fatal asthma attack is not investigated.

<p>Find more about this project and other FSA food safety-related projects at the <a href="http://www.food.gov.uk/science/research/&quot; target="_blank">Food Standards Agency Research webpage</a>.

Institution
Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals
Start date
2003
End date
2004
Funding Source
Food Standards Agency
Project number
T07037