Table 1.
Symptoms listed by organ system according to WAO anaphylaxis guidelines [1] comparing children/adolescents and adults fulfilling the WAO/EAACI criteria for the diagnosis of anaphylaxis (n = 180)
| Symptoms | Children/adolescents n = 23 (%) |
Adults n = 157 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Skin, subcutaneous tissue and mucosa | 23 (100) | 146 (93) |
| Generalized itching | 11 (48) | 69 (47) |
| Generalized flushing/erythema | 12 (52) | 63 (43) |
| Generalized urticaria | 7 (30) | 53 (36) |
| Localized angioedema | 7 (30) | 55 (38) |
| Generalized angioedema | 9 (39) | 46 (32) |
| Respiratory tract | 19 (83) | 124 (79) |
| Sensation of throat tightness | 7 (37) | 78 (63) |
| Throat itching | 7 (37) | 27 (22) |
| Hoarseness | 6 (32) | 30 (24) |
| Wheezing/bronchospasm | 11 (58) | 48 (39) |
| Gastrointestinal tract | 14 (61) | 95 (61) |
| Dysphagia | 5 (36) | 47 (49) |
| Abdominal pain | 9 (64) | 30 (32) |
| Nausea | 9 (64) | 52 (55) |
| Vomiting | 5 (36) | 21 (22) |
| Diarrhea | 3 (21) | 13 (14) |
| Cardiovascular system | 10 (43) | 94 (60) |
| Tachycardiaa | 7 (70) | 71 (76) |
| Mild Hypotensionb | 1 (10) | 10 (11) |
| Severe hypotensionc | 1 (10) | 15 (16) |
| Urinary or fecal incontinence | 1 (10) | 7 (7) |
| Central Nervous System | 11 (48) | 72 (47) |
| Uneasiness | 1 (9) | 10 (14) |
| Altered mental status | 7 (64) | 42 (58) |
| Dizziness | 0 (0) | 12 (17) |
| Loss of consciousness | 3 (27) | 15 (21) |
aHeart rate above or equal to 100 beats per minute
b Systolic blood pressure between 110 and 90 mmHg according to references [1, 12]
c Systolic blood pressure below 90 mmHg according to references [1, 12]
Boldface are marking the 5 different organ systems and for each organ system the percentage distribution of symptoms are given