Recognition and Management of Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis in the School and Community Setting

Food allergy knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of kindergarten teachers in Kuwait: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Food allergy (FA) affects up to 10% of children globally, with clinical symptoms varying from mild to severe, and in rare instances, it is life-threatening. Approximately one in five children with FA experience a food-induced allergic reaction in school, leaving teachers as the first line of intervention. This study aimed to assess kindergarten teachers' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding FA.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study enrolled kindergarten teachers in Kuwait using stratified cluster sampling. The Chicago Food Allergy Research Survey for the General Public was used to assess teachers' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding FA. The overall FA knowledge score was calculated for each participant. The χ² test was used to assess the differences in the distribution of categorical variables.

RESULTS

Responses were obtained from 882 public kindergarten teachers from 63 kindergartens. Most teachers (81.9%) encountered students with FA in their classrooms. Only 13.5% of the teachers reported receiving training in FA. Overall, participants scored an average of 52.2% on the FA knowledge assessment, with participants receiving prior training in FA scoring on average higher than those with no prior training in FA (55.9% vs 51.6%, p=0.005). A few teachers (10.7%) were aware that lactose intolerance was not equivalent to milk allergy. In terms of attitudes regarding FA, only 14.9% of the participants acknowledged that children with FA are teased/stigmatised due to their condition, and 33.7% recognised that avoidance of allergenic food is difficult. Moreover, only 9.9% of the teachers self-reported their ability to use an epinephrine autoinjector.

CONCLUSIONS

Improved knowledge and awareness of FA among public kindergarten teachers in Kuwait are needed to ensure the safety of children with FA in schools. Teachers should be trained to prevent, recognise and manage FA-related allergic reactions.

Pharmacological Efficacy of Probiotics in Respiratory Viral Infections: A Comprehensive Review

Mortality and morbidity from influenza and other respiratory viruses are significant causes of concern worldwide. Infections in the respiratory tract are often underappreciated because they tend to be mild and incapacitated. On the other hand, these infections are regarded as a common concern in clinical practice. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, albeit this is becoming more challenging since many of the more prevalent infection causes have acquired a wide range of antimicrobial resistance. Resistance to frontline treatment medications is constantly rising, necessitating the development of new antiviral agents. Probiotics are one of several medications explored to treat respiratory viral infection (RVI). As a result, certain probiotics effectively prevent gastrointestinal dysbiosis and decrease the likelihood of secondary infections. Various probiotic bacterias and their metabolites have shown immunomodulating and antiviral properties. Unfortunately, the mechanisms by which probiotics are effective in the fight against viral infections are sometimes unclear. This comprehensive review has addressed probiotic strains, dosage regimens, production procedures, delivery systems, and pre-clinical and clinical research. In particular, novel probiotics’ fight against RVIs is the impetus for this study. Finally, this review may explore the potential of probiotic bacterias and their metabolites to treat RVIs. It is expected that probiotic-based antiviral research would be benefitted from this review’s findings.

Food Allergies in Inner-City Schools: Addressing Disparities and Improving Management

OBJECTIVE

Food allergy (FA) affects approximately 8% of children in the United States. Management comprises both preventing and treating allergic reactions, which poses unique challenges in the inner-city school setting. In this article, we review the epidemiology of FA in school-aged children and management challenges and opportunities specific to the inner-city population.

DATA SOURCES

A literature search of the PubMed database was performed to identify published literature on FA epidemiology, FA management, school policies, disparities, inner-city, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

STUDY SELECTIONS

Relevant articles on FA management best practices and challenges in schools, with a particular emphasis on inner-city schools and populations and socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic disparities, were reviewed in detail.

RESULTS

Disparities in FA prevalence, management, and treatment exist. Additional research is needed to better characterize these disparities and elucidate the mechanisms leading to them. There is a lack of evidence-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of food allergic reactions in schools and specifically in inner-city schools, in which a greater proportion of students may rely on school food.

CONCLUSION

There are opportunities for partnership among health care providers, schools, and communities to address unmet needs in FA management and disparities in the inner-city school setting.

Determination of Tropomyosin in Shrimp and Crab by Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Based on Immunoaffinity Purification

A UPLC-MS/MS method was developed for the detection of tropomyosin (TM) in shrimp and crab. After simple extraction, the samples were purified by immunoaffinity column and then digested by trypsin. The obtained sample was separated by Easy-nLC 1000-Q Exactive. The obtained spectrums were analyzed by Thermo Proteome Discoverer 1.4 software and then ANIQLVEK with high sensitivity was selected as the quantitative signature peptide. Isotope-labeled internal standard was used in the quantitative analysis. The method showed good linearity in the range of 5–5,000 μg/L with a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.1 mg/kg. The average recoveries were 77.22–95.66% with RSDs ≤ 9.97%, and the matrix effects were between 88.53 and 112.60%. This method could be used for rapid screening and quantitative analysis of TM in shrimp and crab. Thus, it could provide technical support for self-testing of TM by food manufacturers and promote further improvement of allergen labeling in China.