Abstract Background Over 90% of children with reported penicillin allergy can tolerate penicillin without incident. Developing effective and safe strategies to remove inappropriate penicillin allergies has the potential to improve care; however, guidance on how to identify, test, and delabel patients is limited. Methods In April 2019, Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO) implemented a penicillin allergy clinical pathway (CP) alongside a risk assessment tool to stratify patients based on allergic history (Figure 1). Patients at “no increased risk” were educated and delabeled without testing. Low risk patients were offered an oral amoxicillin drug challenge with close observation. A single, non-graded, treatment dose of amoxicillin (45 mg/kg, max dose 1000mg) was used for low risk patients, and no preceding allergic skin testing was performed. Patients with no signs or symptoms of allergic response 60 minutes after amoxicillin administration were delabeled. Children delabeled of penicillin allergies on the CHCO hospital medicine service were compared between the pre-CP (1/1/17-3/31/19) and post-CP (4/1/19-3/31/20) cohorts. Figure 1. Penicillin Allergy Risk Assessment Results Pre-CP, 683/10624 (6.4%) patients reported a penicillin allergy and 18/683 (2.6%) were delabeled by discharge. Post-CP, 345/6559 (5.3%) patients reported a penicillin allergy and 47/345 (13.6%) were delabeled by discharge (P-value < 0.0001, Figure 2). Among the 47 post-CP patients, 11 were delabeled by history alone, 19 underwent oral amoxicillin drug challenge per CP, and 17 received a different treatment dose penicillin per treatment team. Only one penicillin-exposed patients had a reaction. This patient developed a delayed, non-progressive rash and had penicillin allergy restored to their chart. No patient required emergency medical intervention, and none were “relabeled” penicillin allergic in the 6 months following discharge. Figure 2. Monthly Rate of Penicillin Allergic Patients Delabeled by Discharge Conclusion A drug challenge using a single non-graded dose of oral amoxicillin is a safe and effective strategy to delabel low risk children of inappropriate penicillin allergies when implemented alongside a risk assessment tool. Further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term benefits of delabeling inappropriate penicillin allergies and to continue monitoring for adverse events. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures
Accidental ingestions (AI) of food allergens in children compared with adolescents with food allergies are poorly characterized. It is suggested that AIs are higher in adolescents than children and that their reactions may be more severe, presumptively due, at least in part, to increased risk-taking behavior. We compared reported AIs in children versus adolescents.An online cross-sectional survey was distributed to parents of children with food allergies via Twitter, food allergy advocacy groups in the UK, South Africa, and Australia, and locally at Children's Hospital Colorado.Of 558 respondents, 105 were parents of adolescents, and 453 had children <12 years. 73% (341) reported an AI since diagnosis, with 85% of adolescents having had an AI versus 70% of children (p = 0.0058). The annualized rate of AI was significantly lower in the adolescent population at 0.21 versus 0.53 in children (p = <0.0001). Although adolescents reported fewer severe reactions (2% vs. 16%, p = 0.0283), more adolescents required epinephrine administered by a medical professional for their most severe AI, (48% vs. 24%, p = 0.0378). Comparison of the two age groups is limited by the fact that many AIs in the adolescent group occurred prior to age 12. There was no significant difference between the groups as to where the food was consumed or the type of food. There was a significant difference in accidental ingestions in patients in all age groups with more than one reported food allergy; 78% of those with more than one food allergy reported a prior history of at least one accidental ingestion, compared with 59% in those with a single food allergy (p < 0.0001). Regional differences were also noted with respondents in the United States reporting 0.3 accidental ingestions a year, 0.4 in the UK, and 0.5 in other countries (p = 0.0455). The number of reactions was, on average, 27% lower (95% CI: 40, 11%) in the United States compared with the UK (p = 0.0019).The number of severe reactions, and epinephrine need, differs in children compared with adolescents, although many of the reported reactions in both groups occurred before the age of 12. There were also regional differences with the United States reporting a lower number of AIs and less AIs per year than the other participating regions, as well as increased rates of AI in participants with more than one food allergy. Further characterization of the differences in AIs between children and adolescents, as well as between regions, is needed to assist with more patient-centered anticipatory guidance.
Abstract Food allergies (FA) consist of both IgE and non‐IgE‐mediated entities, with varying phenotypes and overlapping and different considerations for each specific disease presentation. In general, all FAs place children at increased risk for inadequate nutritional intake and negative impacts on their nutritional status, as well as negative impacts on the quality of life for the entire family. To minimize these untoward effects, a multidisciplinary approach should be taken, including consultation and management with a dietitian trained in the varying presentations of FA. Families should be instructed on label reading as a first line of nutritional management. During a nutrition consultation, the age of the child, growth, and nutritional status should be considered. Food refusal should be assessed and addressed. Families should be educated on avoidance and appropriate substitutions. In the case of cow's milk allergy, a suitable specialized formula should be suggested if the infant is not breastfed or if breast milk supply is not sufficient. Other mammalian milk should be avoided and careful consideration should be given before plant‐based milk is used in young children. Specific food allergies may differ in terms of advice provided on the level of avoidance required, whether precautionary advisory labels should be avoided, and if a maternal avoidance of the allergen during breastfeeding should be advised. The role of immunonutrition on overall health should be discussed.
