Hypersensitivity to paracetamol in Asian children with early onset of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug allergy.

Background: The published incidence of paracetamol cross-reactivity in adults and adolescents with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) reactions is low and all data on such reactions in young children is sparse. The study aim was to characterize the clinical presentation and cross-reactivity with paracetamol in patients with a reported onset of NSAID hypersensitivity before 6 years of age.

Methods: A retrospective case review was done of patients with cross-reactive hypersensitivity reactions to antipyretic/analgesic medications from the pediatric allergy clinic of the Kendang Kerbau Hospital, Singapore.

Early presentation with angioedema and urticaria in cross-reactive hypersensitivity to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs among young, Asian, atopic children.

Objective: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), mainly ibuprofen, are used extensively among children as analgesic and antipyretic agents. Our initial survey in the Kendang Kerbau Children's Hospital in Singapore showed NSAIDs to be the second most common adverse drug reaction-causing medications among children of Asian descent. We attempted to characterize the clinical and epidemiologic profile of NSAID reactions in this group of patients.