A Multicenter Retrospective Case Study of Anaphylaxis Triggers by Age in Korean Children
Authors
So-Yeon Lee ; Kangmo Ahn ; Jihyun Kim ; Gwang Cheon Jang ; Taek Ki Min ; Hyeon-Jong Yang ; Bok Yang Pyun ; Ji-Won Kwon ; Myung Hyun Sohn ; Kyung Won Kim ; Kyu-Earn Kim ; Jinho Yu ; Soo-Jong Hong ; Jung Hyun Kwon ; Sung-Won Kim ; Tae Won Song ; Woo Kyung Kim ; Hyung Young Kim ; You Hoon Jeon ; Yong Ju Lee ; Hae Ran Lee ; Hye-Young Kim ; Youngmin Ahn ; Hye Yung Yum ; Dong In Suh ; Hyun Hee Kim ; Jin-Tack Kim ; Jeong Hee Kim ; Yong Mean Park ; Sooyoung Lee
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.