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Paediatric allergic reactions in the emergency department: a review

N Melville1, T Beattie

  • 1Royal Hospital for Sick Children, 10/7 Wellington Street, Edinburgh EH75ED, UK. nicolamelville@hotmail.com

Emergency Medicine Journal : EMJ
|October 10, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Acute allergic reactions in children are common, with nuts being a frequent trigger. Many young patients presenting to the pediatric emergency department (ED) with allergies do not receive adequate follow-up care.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Allergy and Immunology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Allergic diseases are a growing global health concern affecting a significant pediatric population.
  • Research on pediatric allergic reactions, especially within emergency departments (EDs), is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the epidemiology of acute allergic reactions in children presenting to a pediatric ED.
  • To analyze the treatment and outcomes of these allergic reactions.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective review of allergic reactions was conducted over a two-year period.
  • Data were collected from a pediatric tertiary referral hospital ED with approximately 29,000 annual attendances.

Main Results:

  • 237 pediatric patients experienced allergic reactions, with a median age of 46 months; 61% were male.
  • The most common causes were nuts (23%), dairy (16.5%), and medications (10%). Oral exposure led to 58.6% of reactions, with skin symptoms being most prevalent.
  • Only 5% received epinephrine, 19% were admitted, and 55% lacked formal follow-up.

Conclusions:

  • Acute allergic reactions are more common in young boys and are frequently triggered by food allergens like nuts.
  • Allergic reactions are a significant reason for pediatric ED visits.
  • There are concerns regarding the insufficient follow-up care provided to children after experiencing allergic reactions.
Abstract

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