Watura J C
Community Child Health, Severn NHS Trust, Rikenel, Montpellier, Gloucester GL1 1LY, UK.
Arch Dis Child. 2002 Apr;86(4):240-4. doi: 10.1136/adc.86.4.240.
To assess the extent of the problem of nut allergy in schoolchildren within the Severn NHS Trust. To determine how well informed schools are about the condition, their policies and attitudes, and the action that would be taken in the event of an acute reaction.
A questionnaire addressed to the head teacher was sent to 100 randomly selected mainstream schools in the Severn NHS Trust.
Response rate was 83%. There were a total of 21 868 pupils in the schools. Forty five (54%) schools had at least one child currently known to be allergic. The total in all the schools was 87 (0.4%). Only 31 (36%) children had medication available in school. Of these, 18 (58%) had EpiPen alone. Twenty schools (44%) with an allergic child either had no staff trained to administer medication or did not respond to the question. Two (4%) schools with an allergic child had a support assistant for the pupils. Only 19 (43%) schools with a nut allergic child gave information to all teachers about nut allergy and only 21 (47%) gave information to dinner supervisors and other assistants. In only 23 (51%) schools with an allergic child were the cook and catering staff aware of all the children with a nut allergy. Ten (22%) schools with an allergic child served only "nut free dinners". Fourteen (31%) schools with a nut allergic child could not name a single sign of a mild acute allergic reaction (compared to 34 (89%) schools without an allergic child). Fifteen (33%) schools with an allergic child could not state a single sign of a severe acute allergic reaction (compared with 33 (87%) schools without a nut allergic child).
Schools are not sufficiently well informed about nut allergy and management of acute allergic reactions. Policies and attitudes vary. We have revised the information given to schools regarding nut allergy and prepared a new information pack.
评估塞文国民保健服务信托基金辖区内学童坚果过敏问题的严重程度。确定学校对该病症、其政策和态度以及在发生急性过敏反应时将采取的行动了解程度如何。
向塞文国民保健服务信托基金辖区内随机抽取的100所主流学校的校长发送了一份调查问卷。
回复率为83%。这些学校共有21868名学生。45所（54%）学校目前至少有一名已知过敏的儿童。所有学校的总数为87名（0.4%）。只有31名（36%）儿童在学校备有药物。其中，18名（58%）仅有肾上腺素笔。20所（44%）有过敏儿童的学校要么没有经过药物管理培训的工作人员，要么未回复该问题。两所（4%）有过敏儿童的学校有一名学生支持助理。只有19所（43%）有坚果过敏儿童的学校向所有教师提供了有关坚果过敏的信息，只有21所（47%）向晚餐监督员和其他助理提供了信息。只有23所（51%）有过敏儿童的学校的厨师和餐饮工作人员知晓所有坚果过敏儿童。10所（22%）有过敏儿童的学校只提供“无坚果晚餐”。14所（31%）有坚果过敏儿童的学校说不出轻度急性过敏反应的一个单一症状（相比之下，没有过敏儿童的学校有34所（89%）能说出）。15所（33%）有过敏儿童的学校说不出严重急性过敏反应的一个单一症状（与没有坚果过敏儿童的33所（87%）学校相比）。
学校对坚果过敏及急性过敏反应的管理了解不足。政策和态度各不相同。我们已修订了向学校提供的有关坚果过敏的信息，并准备了一份新的信息包。
