Sanabria, Jessica

Anaphylaxis is a rapid-onset, severe life-threatening allergic reaction. With as many as 1 in 20 adults experiencing anaphylaxis in their lifetime, it is imperative that the condition can be recognized quickly and accurately. It was identified that there was no consistent manner in which patients seeking treatment were evaluated. Therefore, with the intention to increase awareness of symptoms and introduce a standardized screening process. Over an eight week period, any patient presenting to the urgent care was screened using the Anaphylaxis Rapid Screening Tool (ARST) . 17 Urgent care staff members willing participated in the intervention which included use of the ARST, the Anaphylaxis Case Scenario (pre- and post-) Test, and the East of Use and Confidence Questionnaire. Results: 47% of the staff demonstrated an increase in post-test scores; no staff member scored worse on post-test. 93-100% of staff verbalized ease of use of tool, increased confidence in ability to recognize symptoms of anaphylaxis, and the tool helped them to recognize other signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis. Total patient sample requiring screening was 117. Screening compliance rate of 32.5%. Limitations: small sample size (both of staff and patients screened), short project duration period, limited to a single urgent care location. Recommendation: expand the number of sites implementing the intervention for a minimum of a 12-month period in order to further evaluate outcomes.