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. 2016 Nov;8(6):535-40.
doi: 10.4168/aair.2016.8.6.535.

A Multicenter Retrospective Case Study of Anaphylaxis Triggers by Age in Korean Children

So Yeon Lee  1 , Kangmo Ahn  2 , Jihyun Kim  2 , Gwang Cheon Jang  3 , Taek Ki Min  4 , Hyeon Jong Yang  4 , Bok Yang Pyun  4 , Ji Won Kwon  5 , Myung Hyun Sohn  6 , Kyung Won Kim  6 , Kyu Earn Kim  6 , Jinho Yu  7 , Soo Jong Hong  7 , Jung Hyun Kwon  8 , Sung Won Kim  9 , Tae Won Song  10 , Woo Kyung Kim  10 , Hyung Young Kim  11 , You Hoon Jeon  1 , Yong Ju Lee  1 , Hae Ran Lee  1 , Hye Young Kim  11 , Youngmin Ahn  12 , Hye Yung Yum  13 , Dong In Suh  5 , Hyun Hee Kim  14 , Jin Tack Kim  14 , Jeong Hee Kim  15 , Yong Mean Park  16 , Sooyoung Lee  17 ; Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Diseases Food Allergy and Atopic Dermatitis Study Group
Affiliations

A Multicenter Retrospective Case Study of Anaphylaxis Triggers by Age in Korean Children

So Yeon Lee et al. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2016 Nov.

Abstract

Purpose: Although anaphylaxis is recognized as an important, life-threatening condition, data are limited regarding its triggers in different age groups. We aimed to identify anaphylaxis triggers by age in Korean children.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of medical records for children diagnosed with anaphylaxis between 2009 and 2013 in 23 secondary or tertiary hospitals in South Korea.

Results: A total of 991 cases (mean age=5.89±5.24) were reported, with 63.9% involving patients younger than 6 years of age and 66% involving male children. Food was the most common anaphylaxis trigger (74.7%), followed by drugs and radiocontrast media (10.7%), idiopathic factors (9.2%), and exercise (3.6%). The most common food allergen was milk (28.4%), followed by egg white (13.6%), walnut (8.0%), wheat (7.2%), buckwheat (6.5%), and peanut (6.2%). Milk and seafood were the most common anaphylaxis triggers in young and older children, respectively. Drug-triggered anaphylaxis was observed more frequently with increasing age, with antibiotics (34.9%) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (17.9%) being the most common causes.

Conclusions: The most common anaphylaxis trigger in Korean children was food. Data on these triggers show that their relative frequency may vary by age.

Keywords: Anaphylaxis; children; epidemiology.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no financial or other issues that might lead to conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Anaphylaxis triggers by age.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Food triggers of anaphylaxis by age.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Drug triggers of anaphylaxis by age. RCM, radiocontrast media; NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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