Results
A total of 510 children (229 [45%] girls; median age 4.3 years [range 0.5 to 16]) with a clinical history indicative of BL DHR were evaluated. Based on clinical history, AX was involved in 349 (68.5%) cases, AX-CLAV in 123 (24.1%), penicillin in 23 (4.5%), and different cephalosporins in 15 (2.9%).
After the allergological workup, 54 cases (10.6%) were finally confirmed as allergic. The median time between the reaction and the allergological study was 30 days (range 1 to 1095). Of the 54 allergic patients, 30 (55.5%) were girls, with an age range of 0.5 to 16 years (mean 6.2), and 42.6% were atopic. AX produced reactions in 72% of the positive cases, AX-CLAV acid in 20.4%, and cephalosporins in 7.6%. When comparing cases finally diagnosed as allergic versus non-allergic, we did not observe differences in gender or the BL involved, but we found differences in the mean age (p < 0.001), which was higher in cases confirmed as allergic.
Among positive cases, 20.4% were classified as IRs and the 79.6% as NIRs. Figure 1 shows the allergological algorithm with the evaluation of all cases.