Pediatric emergency department (PED) admissions were commonly brought on by urticaria. Urticaria patients may unnecessarily steer clear of allergens. For a study, researchers sought to determine the precise and conceivable causes of urticaria in kids hospitalized in the PED.
The International Classification of Diseases 10 (ICD-10) L50 urticaria code was examined in the medical records of children admitted to the PED within a year, noting symptoms and potential urticaria triggers. To fill up the gaps in the data and conduct further diagnostic tests for IgE-mediated allergies to pinpoint the precise causes of urticaria, they conducted telephone interviews.
Over 462 (0.8%) of the 60,142 children had the L50 code when assessed. Based on the history and physical examination, 46% of patients may have been affected by one of the following potential triggers: infections (18%), medications (11%), foods (8%), infections and drugs (3%), insects (3%), pollen (1%), blood products (0.4%), and vaccinations (0.4%). Upper respiratory tract infections (74.5%), urinary tract infections (13.2%), gastroenteritis (8.2%), and otitis media (4.1%) were the most common infections associated with urticaria. IgE-mediated allergy disorders were identified in 6% of patients following a diagnostic workup. For the same urticaria flare, 22% of the patients underwent numerous PED admissions. The most significant risk factor for readmissions to the PED was shown to be the severity of urticaria (odds ratio: 3.86; 95% CI: 2.39-6.23; P<.001). There was no connection between the triggers and the intensity, duration, or urticaria.
Despite thorough diagnostic investigations, IgE-mediated allergic stimuli were seldom the cause of urticaria in children admitted to the PED. The most prevalent trigger was an infection. More PED readmissions resulted from severe urticaria.
Reference: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pde.15020
