Significant factors associated with severity and outcome of an initial episode of acute urticaria in children.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the predictive factors of severity and duration of an initial episode of acute urticaria in children. This was a retrospective study of 1120 children of <18 yr who presented to the emergency department (ED) with an initial episode of acute urticaria during the period January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2007. These patients were followed in the ED or outpatient department (OPD) until their symptoms subsided. Variables comprising mild, moderate, and severe urticaria were compared to determine the predictors of severity. The relationships between duration of urticaria and clinical features, including physician-diagnosed causes and treatment modalities, were also analyzed. Significant predictive factors of severity of an initial episode of acute urticaria in children included age, physician-diagnosed causes of urticaria, clinical presentation, coexistent pyrexia or angioedema, and personal allergic history (all p < 0.001). The duration of urticaria was dependent on the physician-diagnosed causes and treatment. Inhalants and unknown causes were predictive of longer duration, while contact materials were associated with shorter duration of urticaria (p < 0.001). Combination treatment comprising an oral plus injectable form of antihistamine or corticosteroid significantly shortened the duration of urticaria compared to single treatment (p < 0.001), especially in children receiving short-term aggressive treatment in the pediatric observation unit (POU) of the ED.

• Authors: Tzu-Hsuan Liu, Yan-Ren Lin, Kuo-Chia Yang, Yi-Giien Tsai, Yun-Ching Fu, Tung-Kung Wu, Han-Ping Wu
• Journal: Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (Pediatr Allergy Immunol) Vol. 21 Issue 7 Pg. 1043-51 (Nov 2010) ISSN: 1399-3038 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 20536783 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Chemical References

• Adrenal Cortex Hormones
• Histamine Antagonists

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Adolescent
• Adrenal Cortex Hormones (therapeutic use)
• Age Factors
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Disease Progression
• Female
• Histamine Antagonists (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Infant
• Male
• Prognosis
• Retrospective Studies
• Urticaria (diagnosis, drug therapy, epidemiology, physiopathology)