Epinephrine Auto-Injectors for Anaphylaxis: A Review of the Clinical Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness, and Guidelines

Key Message

​No evidence regarding the clinical effectiveness of epinephrine auto-injectors compared to manually administered epinephrine for the management of individuals with anaphylaxis was identified.

No evidence regarding the cost-effectiveness of epinephrine auto-injectors compared to manually administered epinephrine for the management of individuals with anaphylaxis was identified.

Two evidence-based guidelines were identified regarding the management of anaphylaxis. One guideline was jointly developed by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and the Australian and New Zealand Anaesthetic Allergy Group. The other guideline was a practice parameter update by the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters, which represents the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Both guidelines recommend epinephrine administration for anaphylaxis, however neither explicitly state a preference for epinephrine auto-injectors versus manually drawn-up epinephrine for the management of individuals with anaphylaxis.