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Background: The prevalence of adult atopic diseases in Iceland is lower than in other West European countries, despite an affluent lifestyle, but limited data are available on children. The main aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of atopic diseases and sensitivity to common allergens in 10- to 11-year-old Icelandic schoolchildren as part of phase II of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC). Methods: Nine hundred and forty-six children and their parents answered a questionnaire about atopic diseases. Skin prick tests with six allergens were performed on 773 children and they were examined for signs of atopic dermatitis (AD). Results: The 12-month prevalence of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma was 11.5% and 8.9% respectively. The reported prevalence of AD was 27%, but only 9.2% had signs when inspected. A positive skin prick test (SPT) was found in 24.4% of the children, that is 18.8% to grass, 12.9% to cat, 3.6% to trees, 3.0% to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, 1.4% to D. farinae and 0.5% to Alternaria. Conclusion: The high prevalence of atopic diseases in children at 10–11 years is surprising, as the prevalence in adults is low in Iceland. The findings resemble those in developing countries. Iceland has had an affluent lifestyle for a considerable time, but the absence of dust mites, low pet ownership and relatively low pollen counts in the country raise doubts about the role of exposure levels in the development of sensitization and atopic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The main objective of this study was to see how many of the children, with a suspected antibiotic allergy, developed an allergic or adverse reaction to a drug provocation test. Methods: Data on children that had undergone a drug provocation test for a suspected antibiotic allergy were compiled retrospectively for the period from 2007–2018. The median age at the first provocation was 2.25 years (1.5–5.7). Standardised questionnaires, the children's parents had answered before the provocation, were used to evaluate the originally suspected allergic reaction, previous health, atopic diseases and family history. Results: Ninety‐two (6.4%) of the 1440 children showed a possible mild allergic reaction. Sixty‐four of the 92 children underwent a second drug provocation test 1–2 years later. At that time, only eleven developed a positive‐ or a possible‐delayed reaction. Conclusion: An immediate moderate or severe allergic reaction was excluded in all cases of suspected antibiotic allergy in this study. Our study indicates that an oral drug provocation test is safe. It may be appropriate to wait for 6 months or more after the initial event of ADR before these tests are performed. A second oral provocation 1–2 years after the first one shows that ADRs are outgrown in most children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]