The Prevalence of Atopic Diseases Among Pediatric Food Allergic Patients.

Abstract

Introduction Food allergy is an immunological reaction that occurs in response to particular proteins in food. As food allergy can affect multiple body organs, symptoms usually include pruritus, urticaria, rash, cough, dyspnea, and wheezing. Atopic diseases are common in patients with food allergies, and multiple significant associations have been made between them. As such, the presence of food allergy in atopic patients can be used as an indicator of disease severity. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of atopic diseases in food allergy patients. Methodology This was a retrospective cohort study that included pediatric patients aged 0-14 with confirmed food allergies between January 2016 and June 2022. Data was retrieved from electronic medical records and included patients' demographics, type of food allergens, symptoms of food allergy, presence of atopic diseases, and the utilization of healthcare services. Categorical variables were reported as frequencies and percentages, with Chi-squared being used for comparison. Results A total of 228 patients were included in the study. Half of them (114, 50%) were diagnosed with an atopic disease. Seventy-four (64.9%) had asthma, 57 (50%) had atopic dermatitis, and 45 (39.5%) had allergic rhinitis. The most common food allergens in atopic patients were eggs and milk products, in 53 (46.4%) and 42 (36.8%), respectively. There was a significant association between allergy to eggs (p=0.0005), bananas (p=0.0242), and strawberries (p=0.0393), and the presence of an atopic disease. No significant difference was found between atopic and non-atopic patients in terms of utilization of outpatient (p=0.09), inpatient (p=0.50), or ER visits (p=0.31) due to food allergy. Conclusion The current study demonstrates the prevalence of atopic disease in patients with food allergies. Although certain foods were associated with the prevalence of atopic diseases, both atopic and non-atopic patients have similar utilization of health care services such as outpatient, inpatient, and ER.