Clinical characteristics of 88 infants or young children with allergic rhinitis and follow-up after drug treatment.

Objective By analyzing the clinical data from 88 infants or young children with allergic rhinitis (AR), we explore the clinical characteristics of AR in those pediatric patients as well as the improvement in symptoms after drug treatment. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 88 infants or young children initially diagnosed with AR who visited the pediatric respiratory clinic of the first affiliated hospital of Guangzhou medical university from February 1, 2020 to August 1, 2020. Telephone follow-ups were conducted from 6 to 12 months after the first visit. Based on the follow-up results, we summarized the clinical characteristics, complications, and efficacy of therapies of AR in infants and young children. Results Among 88 infants or young children aged 3 to 36 months with AR, 34 (38.6%) had mild AR and 54 (61.4%) had moderate to severe AR. Runny nose and nasal congestion were the most common clinical symptom (87.5%, 77/88), followed by sneezing (47.7%, 42/88) and nasal itching (37.5%, 33/88). Coughing (56.8%, 50/88) was the most common complications, followed by snoring (52.3%, 46/88), wheezing (27.3%, 24/88) and mouth breathing (12.5%, 11/88).The top three positive rates of serum specific IgE testing were 53.4% (47/88) in milk, 46.6% (41/88) in dust mites and 36.4% (32/88) in eggs. After 2 to 8 weeks of medication uses, the remission rate of rhinitis symptoms was significantly higher in mild AR than in moderate to severe AR [94.1% (32/34) vs. 75.9% (41/54), χ² = 4.883, P = 0.027]. 24.1% of patients with moderate to severe AR still had recurrent symptoms at follow-up visits, which was significantly higher than 5.9% in the mild AR group (χ² = 4.883, P = 0.027). Conclusion The main symptoms of AR in infants and young children are runny nose and nasal congestion, and the main complications include cough and snoring. The main allergens are dust mites, milk, and eggs. The symptom relief rate is better in mild AR than in moderate to severe AR after treatment. The symptoms in moderate to severe AR are prone to relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]