SELECTED ARTICLES FROM THE RECENT LITERATURE 2007

December 26, 2007

Emergency Department Treatment of Acute Urticaria

Summary
The investigators assessed emergency care of acute urticaria in children in emergency departments by mailing a survey to all sections of emergency medicine members of the American Academy of Pediatrics (N = 1,190) as well as 1,000 randomly selected members of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

A total of 2,190 surveys were sent, and the return rate was 52.5% (1,137). Respondents included 44.6% pediatric emergency physicians, 36.4% emergency physicians, and 15.3% pediatricians.

First-generation (H1) antagonists alone were the most common therapy used in initial presentation of acute urticaria. The second most common therapy was corticosteroids and H2 antagonists. Then second-generation H1 antagonists were used. The second-generation H1 antagonists were employed only by 7.8% of the respondents, despite guideline therapy indicating these as first-line treatment. Only 14.2% of physicians were familiar with guideline recommendations.

Conclusions of the investigators were that minimal awareness and use of existing guidelines, and low concordance with published recommendations exist. They also concluded that there are great variations in management practices influenced by training, practice setting, and clinical experience.

Reference
Beno SM, et al. A survey of emergency department management of acute urticaria in children. In: Pediatric Emergency Care 2007; 23(12):862-868.

 

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