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SELECTED ARTICLES FROM THE RECENT LITERATURE 2007
November 2, 2007
Hospitalizations for urticaria, angioedema, and anaphylaxis may be on the increase
Summary
A number of studies have indicated that allergic diseases are increasing in developed countries. Admissions to a hospitalization for anaphylaxis has clearly increased in the United Kingdom. The investigators of this study looked at whether or not anaphylaxis, along with urticaria and angioedema, admissions were increasing in Australia.
They found that hospital admissions for angioedema were increasing 3% per year, for urticaria 5.7% per year, and for anaphylaxis 8.8% per year. The steepest increase, in regards to anaphylaxis, was due to cases secondary to food associated events. These were most common in children under 5 years. On the other hand, non-food related events were more common in adults.
In children, males were more frequently admitted than females, but this reversed in adults.
Between 1997 and 2004, there were 106 deaths in Australia in which anaphylaxis or angioedema was found to be the cause. Between 1997 and 2001, there were approximately 10 deaths per year, but between 2002 and 2004, the number of deaths doubled.
Editor's Comments
Although these conditions are not in themselves atopic diseases per se, at least in terms of anaphylaxis, atopics are at increased risk. The article did not evaluate potential causes of the increases in these conditions, but the data strongly supports that there has been an increase in admissions, not only for allergy related events, but for events in all three illnesses, regardless of cause. It also confirms previous observations that, in adults, there is a female predisposition for anaphylactic events, that anaphylactic events in children are mainly food allergy related, and that anaphylactic events in adults are quite often unrelated to foods.
Reference
Poulos LM, et al. Trends in hospitalizations for anaphylaxis, angioedema, and urticaria in Australia, 1993-1994 to 2004-2005. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007; 120(4):878-884.
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