Alergologica 2015: A National Survey on Allergic Diseases in the Spanish Pediatric Population

Background: Allergic diseases are highly prevalent in industrialized populations. In Spain, children suspected of having an allergic disease are usually referred by their primary care pediatrician to an allergy unit at a general hospital or a children's hospital. We report data from a subanalysis of the pediatric population in Alergologica 2015. Methods: Data were collected from pediatric patients (age, <= 14 years) consulting an allergist for the first time in 2014 and the first quarter of 2015 in order to determine variations compared with data reported in Alergologica 2005. Results: Alergologica 2015 included fewer pediatric patients than Alergologica 2005. The study population comprised 481 patients aged <= 14 years from more than 200 centers throughout Spain. Males accounted for 56.5%. Rhinoconjunctivitis was the main reason for consulting an allergist (53.8% vs 46.3% in 2005), followed by asthma (30.2% vs 34.6%), and food allergy (20.0% vs 14.5%). Conclusions: The findings of Alergologica 2015 show a notable increased frequency of allergic rhinitis, drug allergy, and food allergy. The frequency of other allergic conditions remained unchanged, except for asthma, whose frequency decreased, as in adult patients.