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Citation |
Richter AG, Nightingale P, Huissoon AP, Krishna MT. Ann. Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2011; 106(2): 159-163. |
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Affiliation |
Department of Allergy and Immunology, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham National Health Service Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2011, American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Publisher Elsevier Publishing) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
21277518 |
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Abstract |
BACKGROUND: There is a high incidence of systemic reactions (SRs) to bee stings in beekeepers, but the factors predisposing individuals to such responses are not well understood. OBJECTIVES: To identify factors that predispose British beekeepers to SRs and to investigate how beekeepers access specialist services after SRs to bee venom. METHODS: A link to an online survey was published in the bimonthly magazine and on the Web site of the British Beekeepers Association. The demographic results are presented using descriptive analysis, and a logistic regression model was used to determine risk factors for SRs. RESULTS: There were 852 responses to the questionnaire of which 63% were from male beekeepers; the most common age range was 51 to 60 years. Twenty-eight percent of all responders had experienced a large local reaction and 21% had experienced a SR. Factors that predisposed beekeepers to SRs included female sex, having a family member with bee venom allergy, more than 2 years of beekeeping before a SR, and premedication with an antihistamine before attending the hives. A total of 44% of beekeepers with SRs attended the emergency department because of their symptoms, 16.6% were reviewed by an allergy specialist, and only 18% carried an adrenaline autoinjector. CONCLUSIONS: Logistic regression analysis identified a number of novel factors to be associated with the development of SRs. Rates of attendance at the emergency department, allergy specialist review, and carriage of adrenaline were low, highlighting a need for education in the beekeeping community and among health care professionals. Language: en |