Particularities of urticaria seen in the emergency department

Acute urticaria represents the most commonly observed skin disorder (35%) presenting in an emergency department. We retrospectively analysed the records of 676 patients admitted for acute urticaria in order to know the particularities and the main aetiologies. The mean age was 28; females being more affected than males. Aetiologies varied according to age; drugs were involved in 50% of patients more than 50-years old and in only 19% of children less than 10 years old. Whilst causes are rarely known in the chronic forms, almost 60% of the acute cases were due to drugs or food. Amongst the former, antibiotics and NSAI were the most frequently met.