Bees and wasps may be dangerous, but who is at risk?

摘要

Anybody, even a non-allergic individual, may die of a supraglottic bee or wasp sting. Fortunately, this is a rare event. Allergic patients, however, are at considerably higher risk. In the United States alone, insect sting allergies cause an estimated 50 fatal reactions every year, and this figure is most likely an underestimation of the actual frequency [1]. In up to 7.5% of the adult population, a systemic anaphylactic sting reaction has been reported [2]. Most allergists, and even more general practitioners, consider diagnostic procedures for insect venom allergy to be highly accurate [3]. However, the Insect Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology recently acknowledged the fact that we need revised guidelines for diagnosing insect sting allergies [4]. Ideally, a diagnostic test with optimal sensitivity combined with high specificity is required.