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Anaphylaxis knowledge gaps in prehospital crews
Assessment of Prehospital Emergency Personnel's Knowledge in Pediatric Anaphylaxis Management
Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology · 2026-08-12 · Added 4 October 2026
Cross-sectional survey of 322 prehospital personnel found only about half could identify all three paediatric anaphylaxis diagnostic criteria or use an adrenaline auto-injector correctly, though 82% recognised adrenaline as first-line treatment.
- Study type
- Cross-sectional
- Design
- Descriptive cross-sectional survey (21-item questionnaire)
- Participants
- 322 prehospital personnel (214 paramedics, 73 EMTs, 35 physicians)
- Main finding
- 52.2% identified all three diagnostic criteria, 81.7% recognised adrenaline as first-line, 81.1% knew the intramuscular route, but only 52.2% knew correct patient positioning and 50.6% auto-injector use
- Caveat
- Self-reported survey in a single country's EMS with no link to actual patient outcomes
- Bottom line
- Context only
Why it matters in Australia (Medium relevance). Adrenaline for anaphylaxis is universal Australian ambulance practice, so the clinical content is squarely in scope, but the knowledge gaps come from a different EMS and training system.
Learning goal
Strengthen my ability to recognise paediatric anaphylaxis confidently and administer intramuscular adrenaline safely in the prehospital setting.
More
- Topic: Paediatrics
- Daily scan: 4 October 2026
- Podcast: Paramedic Papers Daily, 4 October 2026
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