Increased rate of severe reactions in young peanut allergic patients

February 24, 2019

The most common comorbidities in peanut allergic patients were asthma and eczema, with 42% of them suffering from eczema and asthma.

SAN FRANSISCO – The comorbidity burden in young peanut-allergic patients is high, as are the severe reaction rates and frequency of emergency visits, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, held February 22 -25, 2019 in San Francisco, California.

The purpose of this study was to better understand the burden of polyallergy and co-morbidity in peanut-allergic patients (ages 4-17) by badyzing data from the proprietary and longitudinal database of patient claims, PatientSource ™ (PS ™). International Clbadification of Diseases (ICD)-9 and -10 codes were used to identify patients with peanut allergy, co-morbidities and poly-food allergies.

Severe reactions were defined using "Sampson criteria" codes, including peanut allergy emergency visits, hypersensitivity symptoms involving at least 2 organ systems (cutaneous, conjunctival, gastrointestinal, respiratory) and failure anaphylaxis, cyanosis, hypotension). Adjustments were made for a sub-coding of the peanut allergy diagnosis of about 30% and a claim capture rate of less than 100%.

Of approximately 1.25 million peanut allergies, 720,490 patients were followed from January 2011 to December 2017. The most common comorbidities were asthma (61%) and eczema (63%). %), with 42% of patients suffering from both eczema and asthma. Severe reactions were more common in patients with multiple comorbidities (51% peanut allergy only, 49% peanut allergy and asthma, 58% peanut allergy and eczema, 61% peanut allergy, Eczema and asthma).

Multiple food allergies were present in 35% of patients and the incidence of severe reactions increased with poly-food allergies (peanut allergy only: 47%, peanut allergy and 1 food allergy: 65%, peanut allergy). and 2 food allergies: 67%, peanut allergy and 3 food allergy: 77%, peanut allergy and 4 food allergy: 92%). About 20% of patients (n = 144,883) had at least one peanut – related emergency visit and 6% (n = 45,261) had several emergency visits.

"Management of [peanut allergy] Beyond the avoidance measures is necessary to ease the burden of health care and [quality of life], "The researchers concluded.

Reference

Mahr TA, Lieberman J., Haselkorn T, et al. High comorbidity and rate of severe reactions in young peanut allergic patients. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 2019; February 22-25, 2019; San Francisco, CA. Summary 478.