Clinical features and treatment of pediatric patients with drug-induced anaphylaxis: a study based on pharmacovigilance data

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We assessed the clinical features and treatment of pediatric patients with drug-induced anaphylaxis in clinical settings. Pediatric drug-induced anaphylaxis cases collected by the Beijing Pharmacovigilance Database from 2004 to 2014 were analyzed. A total of 91 cases were identified. Drug-induced anaphylaxis was primarily caused by antibiotics (53%). Children of 0–5 years were more likely to develop cyanosis symptoms than children of 13–17 years (OR = 5.14, 95%CI [1.74, 15.20], P = 0.002). Children of 13–17 years were more likely to develop hypotension than children of 6–12 years (OR = 11.79, 95%CI [2.28, 60.87], P = 0.002), and to manifest both neurological symptoms (OR = 3.56, 95%CI [1.26, 10.08], P = 0.015) and severe anaphylaxis than children of 0–5 years (OR = 15.46, 95%CI [1.85, 129.33], P = 0.002). Supratherapeutic doses of epinephrine were more likely with intravenous (IV) bolus (92%) in contrast to either intramuscular (IM) (36%, OR = 19.25, 95%CI [1.77, 209.55], P = 0.009) or subcutaneous (SC) injections (36%, OR = 19.80, 95% CI [1.94, 201.63], P = 0.005). Only 62 (68%) patients received epinephrine treatment as the first-line therapy.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that antibiotics were the most common cause of pediatric drug-induced anaphylaxis. Children may present with different anaphylactic signs/symptoms based on age groups. Epinephrine is under-utilized and provider education on the proper management of drug-induced anaphylaxis is warranted.What is Known:• The most common causes of anaphylaxis in children are allergies to foods. Drugs are the second most common cause of pediatric anaphylaxis.• IM epinephrine is the recommended initial treatment of anaphylaxis.What is New:• Drug-induced anaphylaxis in pediatric patients has age-related clinical features.• IV bolus epinephrine was overused and associated with supratherapeutic dosing.