Using NHS Data to monitor trends in the occurrence of severe, food induced allergic reactions

Using NHS Data to monitor trends in the occurrence of severe, food induced allergic reactionsResearch programmeFood allergy and intolerance research --Study durationOctober 2019 to January 2022Project codeFS101222Conducted byImperial College LondonBackgroundFood-allergic reactions due to accidental exposure are common in people with FA, but fatal and near-fatal food anaphylaxis occurs so rarely that collecting data relating to these severe reactions is very difficult. Non-severe allergic reactions to food are much more common (with an incidence of up to 1000 times greater than fatal food-related anaphylaxis) but obtaining accurate data relating to the circumstances of these reactions is challenging under the current diagnosis coding system used in the NHS.This project will address two key questions:1.What are the trends in the occurrence of food hypersensitivity reactions (including those due to IgE-mediated food allergy), and its consequences in terms of healthcare encounters (both to hospital and primary care)?2.What are the circumstances surrounding severe, life-threatening reactions to food?Objective and ApproachThis project is split into three work packages (WP).WP1: To describe the incidence of healthcare encounters in the UK related to food hypersensitivity from 2008-2018, using NHS datasetsApproach:Access existing NHS datasets (Hospital Admissions, Accident & Emergency visits, Critical Care admissions, Primary care visits via CPRD) to assess healthcare encounters due to food hypersensitivity over the past 10 years. By linking these different datasets, patient pathways through the healthcare system will be evaluated.WP2: Establishing a prospective UK anaphylaxis registry through the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI), fully integrated into the existing European Anaphylaxis Registry (NORA).