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Background: Food allergy (FA) is an entity of high and growing prevalence, which can be mediated by IgE or cellular immunity. It can have a wide range of symptoms and be triggered by multiple food antigens, which vary in different geographical areas., Objectives: To describe clinical characteristics of Chilean patients with IgE-mediated FA., Patients and Method: Retrospective review of patients with IgE-mediated FA treated at a tertiary healthcare center in Santiago, Chile, between 2006 and 2016. Demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and trigger foods were evaluated., Results: A to tal of 282 patients diagnosed with IgE-mediated FA were included. 89% had FA onset before 18 years of age and most of these before one year of age (median of age: one year; range: one month-55 years). The most common clinical manifestations were hives, angioedema, dyspnea, and vomiting. 40% had symptoms compatible with anaphylaxis. The foods most frequently involved were egg, cow's milk, peanut, shellfish, walnut, tomato, wheat, avocado, fish, and legumes. Egg, cow's milk, and peanut allergies were the most frequent at pediatric age, while seafood allergy was the most frequent among adults., Conclusion: Foods causing IgE-mediated FA in Chile were similar to those described in other countries, although the frequency of tomato and avocado allergy, which are unusual in international series, stands out. Anaphylaxis incidence was high, emphasizing the need for epinephrine autoinjec tors in Chile.

Background: Food allergies (FAs) affect 2-4% of school-aged children in developed countries and strongly impact their quality of life. The prevalence of FA in Chile remains unknown., Methods: Cross-sectional survey study of 488 parents of school-aged children from Santiago who were asked to complete a FA screening questionnaire. Parents who reported symptoms suggestive of FA were contacted to answer a second in-depth questionnaire to determine immediate hypersensitivity FA prevalence and clinical characteristics of school-aged Chilean children., Results: A total of 455 parents answered the screening questionnaire: 13% reported recurrent symptoms to a particular food and 6% reported FA. Forty-three screening questionnaires (9%) were found to be suggestive of FA. Parents of 40 children answered the second questionnaire; 25 were considered by authors to have FA. FA rate was 5.5% (95% CI: 3.6-7.9). Foods reported to frequently cause FA included walnut, peanut, egg, chocolate, avocado, and banana. Children with FA had more asthma (20% vs. 7%, P<0.02) and atopic dermatitis (32% vs. 13%, P<0.01) by report. The parents of children with FA did not report anaphylaxis, but 48% had history compatible with anaphylaxis. Of 13 children who sought medical attention, 70% were diagnosed with FA; none were advised to acquire an epinephrine autoinjector., Conclusion: Up to 5.5% of school-aged Chilean children may suffer from FA, most frequently to walnut and peanut. It is critical to raise awareness in Chile regarding FA and recognition of anaphylaxis, and promote epinephrine autoinjectors in affected children., (Copyright © 2013 SEICAP. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)