The importance of educating subjects entitled to use an adrenaline auto-injector for self-administration.

An educational program, consisting in a clear explanation of the technical aspects and use of the adrenaline auto-injection devices (AAD) and in a practical test utilizing a demonstration kit was given to 350 patients from our outpatient clinic. AAD was also distributed to 50 patients formerly followed by another allergy clinic without training. At practical control test, only 10% of the untrained patients where able to correctly use the AAD versus 80% of trained subjects. Since AAD is a life-saving procedure in severe anaphylactic episodes, this attempt to improve the ability of the patient to comply with the procedure can improve the efficacy of the treatment and eventually the patient's health.