[Prevalence of drug allergy claims in school children]

Adverse drug reactions, especially drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHR) are common problem, which impacts on prescription choices. In general pediatric populations data on the epidemiology of DHRs are scarce compared to in-patient and adult populations. In the current study, we assess the prevalence of parental-reported drug allergy in school children.

We performed a cross-sectional survey of a general 6- to 7-yr-old children population from Krakow. The life occurrence of drug allergy along with basic data on sensitization to common environmental allergens was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Four thousand eighty questionnaires were collected.

The prevalence of drug allergy according to answers given by parents was 3.38% (138/4080). The most common reported drugs were penicillin and its derivatives (39%), followed by sulphonamides (25%), cephalosporins (9%) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (8%). Sensitization to inhalant allergens, food allergens or haptens was not significant risk factor for drug allergy.

The study showed that drug allergy claims in children are highly prevalent. Although results are based on parental perception, they point out how many patients need complete diagnostic work-up to confirm or exclude drug allergy. Otherwise they are treated with alternative drugs, which are usually less effective and/or more expensive.