Allergy in patients under fourteen years of age in Alergológica 2005

Abstract

Objective: To present the most significant data obtained on patients younger than 14 years from the Alergológica-2005 study.

Results: Nine hundred seventeen (18.3%) of the patients included in the study were under the age of 14 (average age 8 years with a similar distribution by gender) and were heavy users of healthcare resources. The most frequently diagnosed illnesses were rhinitis/conjunctivitis (44.7%), asthma (40.5%), food allergy (14.5%), and atopic dermatitis (11.6%). The prevalence of these diseases in children is notably higher than in the adult population in the study. However, urticaria (7%) and drug allergies (3%) were less frequent than in those aged over 14 years. Rhinitis and asthma are allergic in the majority of cases (> 80%). Egg (39%) and milk (32%) were the foods that most frequently caused allergies, especially in children under 7 years of age. Atopic dermatitis was mild in the majority of patients and the use of topical steroids for its treatment has become less widespread in comparison with Alergológica-92, probably as a result of the use of calcineurin inhibitors. Acute urticaria in children is more frequent than the chronic form and is usually caused by foods. Allergy to drugs is very infrequent although the agents responsible are the same as those for adults, beta-lactams and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.

Conclusion: The study provides interesting and useful epidemiologic and clinical data on the child population consulting in Allergy services in Spain.