Epidemiologic study of insect allergy in children. II. Effect of accidental stings in allergic children.
One hundred eighty-one children with non-life-threatening reactions to insect stings and positive venom skin tests were randomized to treatment (53) or no-treatment (128) groups and followed up clinically and immunologically for at least two years to assess the results of accidental stings. Twenty-eight stings in 17 treated patients and 74 stings in 47 untreated children occurred, leading to one mild reaction in a treated patient, and eight in the no-treatment group (P = NS). No reaction was more serious than the original. Based on IgE antibody changes and skin test results, 87% of the untreated children were stung by an insect to which they had clinical sensitivity by skin test. Vespid skin test sensitivity decreased 10-fold or more in both treated (72%) and untreated (44%) children. Of those with increased sensitivity, congruent to 70% had been stung. These data indicate that the incidence of severe reactions on resting is low in insect-allergic children, and that the majority show decreased skin test sensitivity over time.
D000293:Adolescent; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000276:immunology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test; D011897:Random Allocation; D014862:Wasp Venoms / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D001514:Bee Venoms; D014862:Wasp Venoms; D007073:Immunoglobulin E