Abstract

Objective: Population-based studies of peanut anaphylaxis in Texas children and young adults are lacking. The objective of this investigation was to report the clinical and demographic features of children discharged throughout Texas with a diagnosis of anaphylaxis triggered by peanut consumption and calculate the peanut anaphylaxis hospitalization rate by age group.

Methods: Public-use statewide Texas hospital discharge data for the years 2004 through 2007 were analyzed. Patients under the age of 25 years who were Texas residents were included in the study if their principal or secondary diagnosis was anaphylactic shock due to peanut, ICD-9-CM code 995.61. Clinical and demographic features were summarized. Peanut anaphylaxis hospitalization rates were calculated by dividing the number of hospitalizations in a particular age group by the appropriate Texas resident population estimate.

Results: Thirty-four patients were identified, 23 of whom (67.7%) were male. The majority (91%) of the patients were emergency or urgent admissions. After controlling for patient sex and whether or the not patient was self-pay, asthmatics were more likely than non-asthmatics to have received mechanical ventilation (adjusted exact odds ratio = 15.98, P = 0.01). The highest risk of peanut anaphylaxis hospitalization was in the youngest age group, children under five years 1.9/1 million.

Conclusion: Epidemiologic analysis of a statewide hospital discharge database revealed that the highest risk of peanut anaphylaxis hospitalization in Texas children and young adults was in children under five years. Asthmatics were significantly more likely than non-asthmatics to receive mechanical ventilation during their hospitalization.