Acute allergic reactions in children: initiating agents in focus

S.I. Bardenikova¹, S.Yu. Snitko¹, O.B. Dovgun², E.A. Lobanova², N.I. Drozdova<sup>2

1</sup>A.I. Yevdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry
²Children’s City Clinical Hospital of St. Vladimir, Moscow

Acute allergic reactions (AARs) can develop at any age for the first time or repeatedly in response to contact with allergens (foreign protein substances carrying genetic information) as a protective immune response by one of the four hypersensitivity types. Food products are the most common cause of AARs (food allergy). Food allergy is more common in young children than in adults due to intestinal high permeability and insufficient enzyme activity, so foodborne AARs are usually manifested in early childhood. In these circumstances, the presence of specific antibodies in the patient can be detected in the blood or proven by skin tests. In clinical practice, children are more likely to have localized manifestations of both true and pseudoallergic reactions in the following forms: skin rash, urticaria, angioedema, toxicoderma, and allergic dermatitis exacerbation. For instance, laryngeal (subglottic space) edema refers to localized, but life-threatening AAR. Thus, an elimination of causative allergen is extremely important. Symptomatic drug therapy is used mainly in the treatment of patients with allergic reactions. Everyone is regularly prescribed with second-generation antihistamines during the acute manifestation period.

Keywords: acute allergic reaction, pseudoallergy, food allergy, urticaria, rash, angioedema, antihistamines, ebastine, Espa-Bastin.
For citation: Bardenikova S.I., Snitko S.Yu., Dovgun O.B. et al. Acute allergic reactions in children: initiating agents in focus. RMJ. 2019;1(II):66–70.