Urticaria-Angio Edema; Profile of the Patients in the Emergency Department and Factors Detecting Revisits

Abstract

Introduction: The definition of the acute urticaria patients presenting to emergency department will improve the clinical approach for the urticaria patient. The aim of this study is to define the demographic features of urticaria patients visiting the emergency department and to find the factors which can affect the emergency department revisits due to urticaria symptoms.
Methods: The patients aged 16 and older were enrolled to the study. Revisits in the following five days with the same complaints were determined and the factors affecting the recurrent visits were searched.
Results: The mean age of 3813 urticaria patients was 40.2±15.8, 2304 of were female, 2940 were triaged as non urgent and 3787 were discharged from the emergency department. The 78 patients with recurrent visits were searched and there was not any significant difference between the sex, urticaria or allergy history in the past, receiving H1 and H2 receptor blockers together or receiving two different H1 receptor blockers, the season of the year, comorbid diseases or medicines for chronic illness. The presence of a possible cause for the urticaria symptoms and chronic urticaria diagnosis were found to be more in revisit group.
Conclusion: This study has pointed out the scores of urticaria patients entering to emergency departments and these patients may have life-threatening problems. This information can be used for modifying emergency clinics curriculum and can contribute to the standardization of the urticaria management and follow up. Future prospective studies can be conducted for urticaria management in light of our results.