Frequency of self-reported allergies at a high-complexity referral hospital in Colombia, a tropical Latin American country

• Lucía C. Pérez-Herrera ^[1] ; Sergio Moreno-López ^[1] ; Daniel Peñaranda ^[2] ; Elizabeth García ^[3] ; Edgardo Chapman ^[4] ; Augusto Peñaranda ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidad de Los Andes

     Universidad de Los Andes

     Colombia

     
  2. [2] Otolaryngology and Allergy Research Groups, Unidad Médico Quirúrgica de Otorrinolaringología (UNIMEQ-ORL), Bogotá, Colombia; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Fundación Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud – Hospital de San José, Bogotá, Colombia.
  3. [3] Otolaryngology and Allergy Research Groups, Unidad Médico Quirúrgica de Otorrinolaringología (UNIMEQ-ORL), Bogotá, Colombia; Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia; Division of Pediatric Allergies, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia; Pediatric Allergist and Immunologist, Unidad Médico Quirúrgica de Otorrinolaringología (UNIMEQ-ORL), Bogotá, Colombia.
  4. [4] Division of Pediatric Allergies, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia; Pediatric Allergist and Immunologist, Unidad Médico Quirúrgica de Otorrinolaringología (UNIMEQ-ORL), Bogotá, Colombia.

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• Localización: Allergologia et immunopathologia: International journal for clinical and investigate allergology and clinical immunology, ISSN-e 1578-1267, ISSN 0301-0546, Vol. 49, Nº. 5, 2021, págs. 100-105
• Idioma: inglés
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  • Background: The frequency of allergic diseases in tropical Latin American populations is poorly understood, and certain particularities can impact their natural history and risk factors.

    Objective: The study aimed to determine the frequency of self-reported allergies (allergic diseases, drug, and food allergies) in patients who attended the Hospital Universitario Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Colombia.

    Material and methods: A retrospective study was conducted to assess the frequency of self- reported allergies reported by all the patients who attended an allergy referral center between June and December 2019.

    Results: A total of 60978 patients were included. Allergic rhinitis was reported by 1.51% (n = 921), asthma by 1.28% (n = 782), and atopic dermatitis by 0.41% (n = 250) of the study population. A higher frequency of self-reported allergic diseases (rhinitis, asthma, and dermatitis) was found in the younger populations, while drug allergies were more frequently reported in adults. The most frequently self-reported drug allergies were penicillin allergy (4.07%, n = 2479), and non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) allergy (1.85%, n = 1116). The most commonly reported food allergens included shellfish (0.58%), fruits (0.54%), cow’s milk protein (0.37%), and eggs (0.21%).

    Conclusion: The distribution of food allergens showed a higher frequency of shrimp and fruit allergies compared to previous studies on African, Asian, and Arabic tropical populations that describe a higher predominance of egg and milk allergies. Patients reporting allergic diseases should always be referred to the allergology department for confirmatory testing.