Study of the relationship between acetaminophen and asthma in Mexican children aged 6 to 7 years in 3 Mexican cities using ISAAC methodology.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the relationship between the use of acetaminophen and the frequency of asthma in Mexican children in 3 Mexican cities. METHODS: Ours was a multicenter, observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. Patients from 6 to 7 years of age participating in Phase Three B of the ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children) living in the north of Mexico City, Victoria City, and Merida were included. After adjusting for confounders, we calculated the odds ratios (OR) for the presence of wheezing ever, wheezing in the last 12 months, asthma ever, and the use of acetaminophen in the first year of life and during the last 12 months. RESULTS: The ORs for wheezing ever, wheezing in the last year, and asthma ever with respect to use of acetaminophen in the first year of life were not statistically significant (P > .05) in Mexico City, but they were significant in Victoria City (P < .05) and Merida (P < .05). The ORs (95% confidence intervals) for wheezing ever, wheezing in the last year, and asthma ever with respect to use of acetaminophen in the last year were 3.44 (2.96-4.0), 7.97 (5.89-10.78), and 6.10 (3.30-8.81) (P < .05) in Mexico City. Values forVictoria City were 1.36 (1.13-1.63), 3.80 (2.88-5.05), and 2.18(1.57-3.01) (P < .05). Those for Merida were 1.61 (1.40-1.85), 2.07 (1.73-2.48), and 1.53 (1.29-1.82) (P < .05). CONCLUSION: The use of acetaminophen is associated with the presence of wheezing and asthma in 3 different cities in Mexico.

[Adverse reactions to vaccines]. / Reacciones adversas a vacunas.

Vaccination is one of the medicine's achievements to control and/or eradicate certain infectious diseases. Vaccines contain antigenic doses derived from microorganisms and/or its toxins, besides they are composed of other substances such as aluminum, gelatin, egg proteins, mercury components (as thimerosal), and antibiotics; therefore, these substances can produce hypersensitivity reactions. The above-mentioned reactions can be evidenced with itch, edema, hives, asthmatic crisis, hypotension and even anaphylactic shock. Due to the importance of vaccination, especially in childhood, it is essential to know the benefits of vaccines, their impact in morbidity and mortality decrease of certain infected-contagious diseases, as well as the adverse effects and the allergic reactions to their application. As immunizations prevent natural infections, they might contribute to a free infectious environment that would allow atopic response. This paper reviews the allergic reactions to vaccines and their influence on the development of atopic disease.

[Urticaria and angioedema]. / Urticaria y angioedema.

Urticaria is considered a heterogeneous group of diseases that share different patterns of skin reactions. The wide diversity in urticaria subtypes have been identified and this reflects partial understanding of the causes or factors that trigger it, as well as the molecular and cellular mechanisms that are involved in their physiopathology. The objective of this article was to make an extensive review of the literature to be able to offer the readers a complete information and updating on the basic, ethiologic and physiophatologic mechanisms and mainly to make a special emphasis on diagnosis and treatment of urticaria, promoting the continuous medical education.

Factors associated with allergic rhinitis in children from northern Mexico City.

BACKGROUND: The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire allows users to find factors associated with allergic diseases, but thus far most of the studies on risk factors for allergic diseases have been devoted to asthma and not to rhinitis. OBJECTIVE: To determine the main factors associated with symptoms of allergic rhinitis and rhinoconjunctivitis in school children and adolescents in northern Mexico City. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross sectional, multicenter survey was conducted in northern Mexico City, in children aged 6-7 and 13-14 years. The survey instrument was the Phase Three B ISAAC questionnaire, which was validated and standardized in Spanish. RESULTS: There were 4106 6-7-year-olds and 6576 13-14-year-olds. The total prevalence of diagnosis of allergic rhinitis was 4.6%. The prevalence of cumulative and current symptoms of rhinitis was considered high (>29%), but the prevalence of the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis was considered low (ranging from 3.4% to 5.6%). The prevalence of symptoms of rhinitis with conjunctivitis had intermediate values (ranging from 20.3% to 30.2%). Cumulative symptoms of allergic rhinitis, current symptoms of allergic rhinitis, and rhinoconjunctivitis were related to symptoms of current or cumulative asthma, symptoms of current or cumulative atopic eczema, and current use of paracetamol (odds ratio > 1, P < .05). CONCLUSION: The present results support the concept of rhinitis and asthma as common chronic respiratory diseases, and this study also found a relation between paracetamol use and rhinitis in children.