Impact of anaphylaxis on the quality of life of adults
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Impact of anaphylaxis and development of a psychometric scale to measure impact of anaphylaxis on the quality of life of adults
IRAS ID
183103
Contact name
Rebecca Knibb
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Aston University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
This study aims to explore the impact that the risk of having an anaphylactic reaction has on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of adults and to develop a reliable and valid quality of life scale to measure the impact of anaphylaxis in adults. People allergic to foods such as peanuts, nuts and shellfish, drugs such as penicillin or general anaesthetic, latex, bee and wasp venom can be at risk of having an anaphylactic reaction if they accidentally come into contact with the allergen (Panesar et al., 2013). Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening systemic reaction and symptoms can include swelling of airways, difficulty breathing, drop in blood pressure and a rash and without prompt treatment with adrenaline, it can lead to collapse and death (Panesar et al., 2013). People with a history of anaphylaxis have reported poorer quality of life and greater anxiety than those with no such history (Flokstra-de Blok et al., 2009). There is no validated scale to measure the impact of the risk of anaphylaxis from any cause. Having such a tool would provide information for patients and health care practitioners and help to direct health care to appropriate areas and provide support where it is needed. This study will follow gold standard guidelines for the development of a reliable and valid anaphylaxis quality of life scale for adults. Interviews will be conducted with approximately 25 adult patients recruited from an allergy clinic who are at risk of anaphylaxis from any cause Interviews will then be analysed using a range of qualitative methods to assess the impact of anaphylaxis and extract relevant items for a prototype scale. The scale will then be administered to approximately 300 adults alongside scales for validation which will include generic quality of life scales.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/SC/0238
Date of REC Opinion
22 Apr 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion