Academic Unit of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Clin Transl Allergy. 2012 Jul 9;2(1):12. doi: 10.1186/2045-7022-2-12.
An understanding of the management strategies used by food allergic individuals is needed as a prerequisite to improving avoidance and enhancing quality of life. Travel abroad is a high risk time for severe and fatal food allergic reactions, but there is paucity of research concerning foreign travel. This study is the first to investigate the experiences of, and strategies used by peanut and tree nut allergic individuals when travelling abroad.
Thirty-two adults with a clinical history of reaction to peanuts or tree nuts consistent with IgE-mediated allergy participated in a qualitative interview study.
Travel abroad was considered difficult with inherent risks for allergic individuals. Many participants recounted difficulties with airlines or restaurants. Inconsistency in managing allergen avoidance by airlines was a particular risk and a cause of frustration to participants. Individuals used a variety of strategies to remain safe including visiting familiar environments, limiting their activities, carrying allergy information cards in the host language, preparing their own food and staying close to medical facilities.
Participants used a variety of allergen avoidance strategies, which were mostly extensions or modifications of the strategies that they use when eating at home or eating-out in the UK. The extended strategies reflected their recognition of enhanced risk during travel abroad. Their risk assessments and actions were generally well informed and appropriate. A need for airline policy regarding allergy to be declared and adhered to is needed, as is more research to quantify the true risks of airborne allergens in the cabin. Recommendations arising from our study are presented.
为了改善食物过敏患者的回避策略并提高其生活质量，我们需要了解食物过敏患者的管理策略。出国旅行是发生严重和致命食物过敏反应的高危时期，但针对国外旅行的相关研究却很少。本研究首次调查了花生和坚果过敏个体在出国旅行时的经历和使用的策略。
32 名有临床花生或坚果过敏史且符合 IgE 介导过敏的成年人参与了一项定性访谈研究。
出国旅行对过敏患者来说被认为是困难的，存在固有风险。许多参与者都诉说在航空公司或餐厅遇到了困难。航空公司在管理过敏原回避方面的不一致性是一个特别的风险，也是参与者感到沮丧的原因。个人使用各种策略来保持安全，包括访问熟悉的环境、限制活动、携带过敏原信息卡在所在国语言、准备自己的食物和靠近医疗设施。
参与者使用了各种过敏原回避策略，这些策略大多是他们在英国在家中或外出就餐时使用的策略的扩展或修改。扩展的策略反映了他们在出国旅行时对风险增加的认识。他们的风险评估和行动通常是知情和适当的。需要制定航空公司有关过敏的申报和遵守政策，也需要更多的研究来量化机舱内空气传播过敏原的真实风险。我们的研究提出了一些建议。
