Anaphylaxis in middle-aged patients

Wojciech Francuzik; Magdalena Kraft; Kathrin Scherer Hofmeier; Franziska Ruëff; Claudia Pföhler; Regina Treudler; Roland Lang; Thomas Hawranek; Nicola Wagner; Margitta Worm

doi:10.5414/ALX02216E

Anaphylaxis in middle-aged patients

Allergol Select. 2021 Mar 23:5:133-139. doi: 10.5414/ALX02216E. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Allergy and Immunology, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin.
² Central Emergency Department, University Hospital Halle (Saale), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
³ Allergology, Clinic for Dermatology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
⁴ Clinic and Polyclinic for Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital Munich, Munich.
⁵ Clinic for Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, Saarland University Hospital and Medical Faculty of Saarland University, Homburg.
⁶ Clinic and Polyclinic for Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, Leipzig University Hospital, Leipzig, Germany.
⁷ University Clinic for Dermatology and Allergology, Paracelsus Medical Private University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria and.
⁸ Dermatology Clinic, Erlangen University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.

Abstract

Age is one of the most important factors influencing the course of anaphylaxis: moreover, the frequency of elicitors of anaphylaxis is age-associated. We analyzed 8,465 anaphylactic episodes in adult patients in three age groups with a focus on patients in the middle-age group (35 - 65 years old). Insect venom was the most frequent trigger in this age group (51.2%) followed by drugs (22.8%) and food (17.3%). Severe reactions were observed in 40.1% of middle-aged patients and occurred more frequently in this age group than in patients below 35 years (27.6%) and less frequently than in patients over 65 years (55.6%). The symptoms and comorbidity profile also changed with age, most significantly regarding the increase in rates of concomitant cardiologic diseases and (severe) cardiovascular symptoms.

Keywords: anaphylactic reaction; anaphylaxis; drug allergy; food allergy; middle age; severe allergic reaction; venom allergy.