World Allergy Organization Journal (Mar 2023)

WAO consensus on DEfinition of Food Allergy SEverity (DEFASE)

  • Stefania Arasi, MD, PhD, MSc,
  • Ulugbek Nurmatov, MD,
  • Audrey Dunn-Galvin, PhD,
  • Graham Roberts, DM,
  • Paul J. Turner, FRCPCH, PhD,
  • Sayantani B. Shinder, MD, PhD,
  • Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPh,
  • Philippe Eigenmann, MD,
  • Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, MD, PhD,
  • Ignacio J. Ansotegui, MD, PhD,
  • Montserrat Fernandez Rivas, MD,
  • Stavros Petrou, PhD,
  • Luciana K. Tanno, MD, PhD,
  • Marta Vazquez-Ortiz, MD, PhD,
  • Brian Vickery, MD, PhD,
  • Gary Wong, MD, FRCPC,
  • Montserrat Alvaro-Lozano, MD, PhD,
  • Miqdad Asaria, PhD,
  • Philippe Begin, MD, MSc,
  • Martin Bozzola, MD,
  • Robert Boyle, MD,
  • Helen Brough, MD, PhD,
  • Victoria Cardona, MD, PhD,
  • R. Sharon Chinthrajah, MD, PhD,
  • Antonella Cianferoni, MD,
  • Antoine Deschildre, MD,
  • David Fleischer, MD,
  • Flavio Gazzani, PhD,
  • Jennifer Gerdts,
  • Marilena Giannetti, PhD,
  • Matthew Greenhawt, MD, MBA, MSc,
  • Maria Antonieta Guzmán, MD,
  • Elham Hossny, MD, PhD, FAAAAI,
  • Paula Kauppi, MD,
  • Carla Jones,
  • Francesco Lucidi, PhD,
  • Olga Patricia Monge Ortega, MD, PhD,
  • Daniel Munblit, MD, PhD,
  • Antonella Muraro, MD,
  • Giovanni Pajno, MD,
  • Marcia Podestà,
  • Pablo Rodriguez del Rio, MD, PhD,
  • Maria Said,
  • Alexandra Santos, MD, MSc, MRCPCH, PGCAP, FHEA, PhD,
  • Marcus Shaker, MD,
  • Hania Szajewska, MD, PhD,
  • Carina Venter, PhD,
  • Cristopher Warren, PhD,
  • Tonya Winders,
  • Motohiro Ebisawa, MD, PhD,
  • Alessandro Fiocchi, MD

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 3
p. 100753

Abstract

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Background: While several scoring systems for the severity of anaphylactic reactions have been developed, there is a lack of consensus on definition and categorisation of severity of food allergy disease as a whole. Aim: To develop an international consensus on the severity of food allergy (DEfinition of Food Allergy Severity, DEFASE) scoring system, to be used globally. Methods: Phase 1: We conducted a mixed-method systematic review (SR) of 11 databases for published and unpublished literature on severity of food allergy management and set up a panel of international experts. Phase 2: Based on our findings in Phase 1, we drafted statements for a two-round modified electronic Delphi (e-Delphi) survey. A purposefully selected multidisciplinary international expert panel on food allergy (n = 60) was identified and sent a structured questionnaire, including a set of statements on different domains of food allergy severity related to symptoms, health-related quality of life, and economic impact. Participants were asked to score their agreement on each statement on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”. Median scores and percentage agreements were calculated. Consensus was defined a priori as being achieved if 70% or more of panel members rated a statement as “strongly agree” to “agree” after the second round. Based on feedback, 2 additional online voting rounds were conducted. Results: We received responses from 92% of Delphi panel members in round 1 and 85% in round 2. Consensus was achieved on the overall score and in all of the 5 specific key domains as essential components of the DEFASE score. Conclusions: The DEFASE score is the first comprehensive grading of food allergy severity that considers not only the severity of a single reaction, but the whole disease spectrum. An international consensus has been achieved regarding a scoring system for food allergy disease. It offers an evaluation grid, which may help to rate the severity of food allergy. Phase 3 will involve validating the scoring system in research settings, and implementing it in clinical practice.

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