Globalization and anaphylaxis

Drug allergy awareness and perspectives with the implementation of the International Classification of Diseases-11

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To understand the current global scale of drug hypersensitivity (DH) and drug allergy (DA), and to identify possible strategies to increase the accuracy of epidemiological data.

RECENT FINDINGS

Global patterns of DH/DA seem to be changing and increasing worldwide, but there are still great challenges in capturing quality DH/DA mortality and morbidity statistics (MMS). DH/DA MMS may gain new perspectives with the global implementation of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11. Improving the quality of epidemiological data related to DH/DA should clarify areas of uncertainty, which would lead to better strategies to reduce the burden of these conditions.

SUMMARY

DH/DA remains a complex and unaddressed problem globally that often deprives patients of optimal medication choices and places them at risk for life-threatening reactions. DH/DA labels should contribute to people well being, by protecting true allergic individuals from being re-exposed to their allergic drugs and providing needed medications to individuals wrongly labeled as allergic or who have lost allergic sensitivity. The true rate of DH/DA is in fact unknown due to a number of factors, such as misdiagnosis, miscoding and under- and over-notification, among others. Moreover, there is lack of data about DH/DA epidemiology in many countries. Difficulties on collecting accurate and comparable data should be acknowledged, with great impact in the correct labeling DH/DA in electronic health records and official statistics. More accurate definitions, classification and coding may contribute to a better-quality MMS thanks to the ICD-11, under implementation worldwide. Improving the quality of epidemiological data related to DH/DA should clarify areas of uncertainty, which would lead to better strategies to reduce the burden of these conditions. As knowledge derived from populations is key information for more realistic decision-making, the construction of the new section addressed to DH/DA in the ICD-11 will allow the collection of more accurate epidemiological data to support quality management of patients, and facilitate healthcare planning to implement public health measures to prevent and reduce the morbidity and mortality attributable to these conditions.

Allergic and hypersensitivity condition in the International Patients' Summary (IPS) standard: The need of updates through the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11

In 2010, the United States Human and Health Services (US HHS) and the European Union's (EU) Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology signed a memorandum of understanding to stimulate cooperation surrounding health-related information communications technology. The key project that emerged from this agreement is the International Patient Summary (IPS), intended to provide succinct clinically relevant patient summaries, which are generalizable and condition-independent, that can be readily used by all clinicians for the care of patients. Although allergies are included in the main information required by the IPS library and framework, it is misrepresented which leads to underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis of patients suffering from allergic and hypersensitivity conditions (A/H). The French and Montpellier World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centres have provided arguments for supporting representation of A/H in the IPS. These are based on the relevance of the new classification of A/H in the WHO International Classification of Diseases 11th version (ICD-11), and the need for alignment of eHealth tools with harmonized health information. We first present the A/H in the IPS initiative with the mission of producing an international information system that can be used globally in electronic health records to standardize clinical diagnoses and facilitate communication between clinicians caring for patients with A/H diseases. It is believed this initiative will provide a strong voice for the allergy community and an effective process for improving the quality of health data that will optimize medical care for our patients worldwide.

Epidemiology of anaphylaxis: is the trend still going up?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To understand the current global scale of anaphylaxis and identify possible strategies to increase the accuracy of epidemiological data.

RECENT FINDINGS

Anaphylaxis mortality and morbidity statistics may gain new perspectives with the global implementation of the ICD-11. Improving the quality of epidemiological data related to anaphylaxis should clarify some areas of uncertainty about risk factors, leading to better targeting of strategies to protect those patients at risk, and support decision-making to facilitate health care planning and implementation of public health measures to prevent anaphylaxis.

SUMMARY

The true rate of anaphylaxis is unknown due to a number of factors, such as misdiagnosis, miscoding and undernotification. Moreover, there is lack of information about anaphylaxis epidemiology in many countries. Difficulties on collecting accurate and comparable data should be acknowledged and anaphylaxis data can vary widely. Currently, most robust data are derived from hospitalization datasets and national mortality databases. Anaphylaxis accounts for up to 0.26% of overall hospital admissions. It is suggested that the number of hospital admissions for anaphylaxis is increasing in many countries, both with respect to all-causes of anaphylaxis and by trigger, but the mortality rate remains low. However, there are still great challenges in capturing quality anaphylaxis mortality and morbidity statistics. Better understanding of anaphylaxis trends should clarify some areas of uncertainty about risk factors and prospect effective prevention strategies. As the knowledge derived from populations is key information for more realistic decision-making, the construction of the new section addressed to anaphylaxis in the ICD-11 will allow the collection of more accurate epidemiological data to support high quality management of patients, and to better facilitate health care planning to implement public health measures, reduce the morbidity and mortality attributable to anaphylaxis.

Food allergy in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11

There are increasing global data regarding the prevalence of food allergy and food-induced anaphylaxis. However, knowledge in morbidity and mortality epidemiological data is still not optimal, and international comparable standards remain poorly accessed. This information could in turn support better clinical practice and possibly prevent future severe reactions and avoidable fatalities. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the standard diagnostic tool used for epidemiology, health management, and clinical purposes supported by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is also used to determine health care payment and reimbursement of providers and health care services in hospitals. Thanks to the academic and technical efforts under the ALLERGY in ICD-11 initiative the pioneer "Allergy and hypersensitivity conditions" section has been built under the "Disorders of the Immune System" chapter of the ICD-11. The "Food hypersensitivity" (FH) subsection is classified under the "Complex allergic or hypersensitivity conditions" section and "Food-induced anaphylaxis" is under the "Anaphylaxis" section. In order to inform the development of strategies to reduce preventable FHs/food allergies, the burden of disease in different healthcare settings and patient populations and their common etiologies need to be understood. Besides, greater specificity regarding clinical conditions and services delivered will provide payers, policy makers, and providers with better information to make major refinements to countries payment and reimbursement systems, including the design and implementation of pay-for-performance program.The new classification addressed to FHs will enable the collection of more accurate epidemiological data to support quality management of patients with FHs/food allergies, and better facilitate health care planning and decision-making and public health measures to prevent and reduce their morbidity and mortality. The improved logic and standardized definitions through the ICD-11 (and other WHO classifications) will also facilitate international comparisons of quality care and the sharing of best practice globally.

Epidemiology of anaphylaxis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To understand the current global epidemiological data of anaphylaxis and identify potential strategies to improve patients' care and prevention.

RECENT FINDINGS

Anaphylaxis mortality and morbidity statistics (MMS) may gain new perspectives with the implementation of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11 in the forthcoming years. Improving the quality of epidemiological data related to anaphylaxis should clarify some areas of uncertainty about risk factors, leading to better targeting of strategies to protect those patients at risk, and support decision-making to facilitate healthcare planning and implementation of public health measures to prevent anaphylaxis.

SUMMARY

Anaphylaxis is a complex noncommunicable diseases with adverse impact on health-related quality of life of patients and their carriers and a significant proportion of deaths may be preventable. It requires an integrated holistic plan to improve quality of healthcare and gathering accurate and comparable epidemiological data is key. Morbidity related to anaphylaxis seems to be increasing worldwide whereas mortality of anaphylaxis appears to be low and stable, but this still has great challenges in capturing quality anaphylaxis MMS. Improving the quality of epidemiological data related to anaphylaxis should clarify some areas of uncertainty about risk factors, leading to better targeting of strategies to protect those patients at risk. As knowledge derived from populations is key information for more realistic decision-making, the construction of the new section addressed to anaphylaxis in the ICD-11 will allow the collection of more accurate epidemiological data to support quality management of patients, and better facilitate healthcare planning to implement public health measures to prevent and reduce the morbidity and mortality attributable to these conditions.

Global implementation of the world health organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11: The allergic and hypersensitivity conditions model

The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) provides a common language for use worldwide as a diagnostic and classification tool for epidemiology, clinical purposes and health management. Since its first edition, the ICD has maintained a framework distributing conditions according to topography, with the result that some complex conditions, such as allergies and hypersensitivity disorders (A/H) including anaphylaxis, have been poorly represented. The change in hierarchy in ICD-11 permitted the construction of the pioneer section addressed to A/H, which may result in more accurate mortality and morbidity statistics, including more accurate accounting for mortality due to anaphylaxis, strengthen classification, terminology and definitions. The ICD-11 was presented and adopted by the 72nd World Health Assembly in May 2019, and the implementation is ongoing worldwide. We here present the outcomes from an online survey undertaken to reach out the allergy community worldwide in order to peer review the terminology, classification and definitions of A/H introduced into ICD-11 and to support their global implementation. Data are presented here for 406 respondents from 74 countries. All of the subsections of the new A/H section of the ICD-11 had been considered with good accuracy by the majority of respondents. We believe that, in addition to help during the implementation phase, all the comments provided will help to improve the A/H classification and to increase awareness by different disciplines of what actions are needed to ensure more accurate epidemiological data and better clinical management of A/H patients.

Changing the history of anaphylaxis mortality statistics through the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases-11

We review the history of the classification and coding changes for anaphylaxis and provide current and perspective information in the field. In 2012, an analysis of Brazilian data demonstrated undernotification of anaphylaxis-related deaths because of the difficulties of coding using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision. This work triggered strategic international actions supported by the Joint Allergy Academies and the International Classification of Diseases World Health Organization (WHO) leadership to update the classification of allergic disorders for the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11), which resulted in construction of the pioneer "Allergic and hypersensitivity conditions" chapter. The usability of the new framework has been tested by evaluating the same data published in 2012 from the ICD-11 perspective. Coding accuracy was much improved, reaching 95% for definite anaphylaxis. As the results were provided to the WHO Mortality Reference Group, coding rules have been changed, allowing anaphylaxis to be recorded as an underlying cause of death in official mortality statistics. The mandatory use of ICD-11 from January 2022 for documenting cause of death could have 2 immediate consequences: (1) the reported number of anaphylaxis-related deaths might increase because of more appropriate coding and (2) the cross-sectional and longitudinal mortality data generated might ultimately lead to a better understanding of anaphylaxis epidemiology and improved health policies directed at reducing anaphylaxis-related mortality.