Allergy/Asthma

Children aged 0 to 4 years are at an increased risk of asthma exacerbations than other children, with an additional increased risk for exacerbations in the spring and fall seasons,  according to research presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2018 Meeting.

The possible shortage of EpiPen and EpiPen Jr reported by NBC News and other mainstream media was worrisome but served as a reminder to plan ahead for food allergy-related emergencies, experts told Healio Family Medicine.

A laboratory test that used children’s plasma in cell activation to diagnose peanut allergy showed 98% specificity, according to recently published study results in The Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology.

“Both gastric acid-suppressive medications and antibiotics have been implicated as factors that may enhance the development of allergic diseases,” Edward Mitre, MD, from the department of microbiology and immunology at the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine in the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and colleagues wrote. “Use of these medications, which can directly cause intestinal dysbiosis, is of concern in light of increasing evidence that alterations in the human microbiome can increase the risk for allergy development.”

Sharp differences were found in how pediatricians and allergists managed peanut allergy in their patients, suggesting changes need to be made to how pediatricians provide such care, according to an abstract presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in Orlando.

The Trump administration’s selection of longtime AIDS researcher Robert R. Redfield, MD, to be the next CDC director drew mixed reactions from experts and officials, including some who question his conduct on a research project several decades ago.

Although measles infection during childhood is not independently linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — or post-bronchodilator airflow obstruction —  the infection can strengthen the association between smoking, current asthma and post-bronchodilator airflow obstruction.

Prenatal vitamin D status and a mother’s race affected their children’s allergy and some pulmonology outcomes, according to two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in Orlando.

The Asthma Activities, Persistent, triGGers, Asthma medications, Response to therapy, or APGAR, tool was an “effective practice addition” for primary care physicians who treat patients with asthma, according to findings recently published in Annals of Family Medicine.

Physician input may improve the care of asthma exacerbations and anaphylaxis in the school setting because emergency action plans are maintained by only approximately 41% of children with allergies and 21% of children with asthma, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in Orlando.