Study finds that montelukast is not associated with neuropsychiatric events in children Montelukast does not appear to increase the risk for neuropsychiatric adverse events in children and adolescents, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics. Montelukast is a leukotriene receptor commonly used to treat asthma and allergic rhinitis. Starting in 2008, reports emerged about a…
Diverse diet at age 9 months indicates less risk for food allergy at age 18 months Infants with a diverse diet at age 9 months were less likely to develop food allergy by age 18 months, especially if they had a history of eczema, according to a study published by Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. Infants with…
FDA issues warning regarding common antihistamines The FDA warned that some people develop severe itching, or pruritus, after stopping long-term use of the antihistamines cetirizine (Zyrtec) or levocetirizine (Xyzal). Prescribing information for the oral allergy drugs — which are taken daily and sold both in prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) forms — will be updated to…
Myths of food sensitivity tests: what you need to know Food sensitivity testing has exploded in popularity in recent years, fueled by promises to uncover “hidden food allergies” or hidden causes of fatigue, bloating, brain fog, skin issues and more. People who experience these symptoms are desperate to find answers, but that also leads to…
Two hour observation after epinephrine dose likely safe in most kids with mild anaphylaxis When caring for children who present to the ED with an acute allergic reaction requiring epinephrine, an observation time of 2 hours was enough for a safe discharge in 95.3% of patients, according to study results. “Most children with anaphylaxis are…
Severe asthma exacerbations associated with short acting beta agonist use Increasing exposure to short-acting beta 2 agonist rescue or reliever medication appeared associated with greater risk for severe asthma exacerbations regardless of inhaled corticosteroid use, according to study results. Published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, the study results suggest that rescue/reliever…
Combination nasal medication treatment improves nasal allergy symptoms better than one alone Intranasal corticosteroid and intranasal antihistamine therapies did a better job of alleviating nasal and ocular symptoms in allergic rhinitis than intranasal corticosteroid therapy alone, according to a review. Examples of these medications include fluticasone or mometasone nasal sprays (corticosteroids,) plus azelastine or olopatadine…
Children who react to first COVID vaccine dose can safely receive second dose Children with immediate allergic reactions to their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine safely received the second dose, according to a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. Children with a history of allergy to polyethylene glycol (PEG)…
Goat’s milk skin product usage may lead to ‘severe’ goat’s milk allergy A small cohort of patients who used goat’s milk-containing treatments for inflammatory skin conditions subsequently developed severe goat’s milk allergy, according to a research letter published in Clinical & Experimental Allergy. This case series adds to the research suggesting that application of food-based skin…
First treatment approved for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) Dupilumab (Dupixent) became the first drug approved to treat eosinophilic esophagitis in adults and pediatric patients ages 12 and older weighing at least 40 kg (~88 lb), the FDA announced. Eosinophilic esophagitis is a chronic, progressive disease in which the esophagus becomes inflamed due to a buildup of eosinophils,…