Common causes of anaphylaxis in different age groups at KAU Hospital

Incidents of anaphylaxis are on a rise globally, which calls for its immediate recognition and proper management. Till date, there have been a very few studies addressing the issue of etiology of anaphylaxis with varying age-groups in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to collect data about common causes of anaphylaxis and categorize them according to their prevalence in different age groups at a hospital in Jeddah.  Data was collected from emergency department staff of King Abdulaziz University Hospital, in the form of a questionnaire including queries about anaphylaxis based on most common causes, age group, symptoms and frequency of its occurrence in each age group. A total of 112 cases of anaphylaxis were reported; adults were the most common representing 33% of the studied population. Food allergy was the most prevalent trigger for anaphylaxis (42.8%) overall. The most common cause of anaphylaxis was food and drug allergy (45.45% and 40.9 %) in children aged 6-12 years and food allergy in pre-school kids (59.25%). No significant cause of anaphylaxis could be observed among teenagers. In infants, food allergy and insect bite were the most significant triggers of anaphylaxis (43.4% and 52.1%). Anaphylaxis due to latex was the least prevalent cause among all age groups. In Saudi Arabia, anaphylaxis mostly occurred among adults, drug allergy being most common cause. Food allergy was a common general trigger of anaphylaxis which also remained the most common cause in children along-with drug allergy, preschool kids and infants along-with insect bite.