urticaria

Question 1

what is the difference between acute and chronic urticaria?

Answer 1

In acute urticaria, symptoms last for less than 6 weeks.

In chronic urticaria, symptoms persist for 6 weeks or longer (on a nearly daily basis).

Question 2

what are some triggers for urticaria?

Answer 2

stress, drug treatments (including complementary and topical treatments), insect bites and stings, exercise, and certain foods.

Question 3

how can you exclude IgE food mediated allergy as the cause for urticartia?

Answer 3

history enables an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy to be excluded as a cause of urticaria.

In IgE-mediated food allergy, symptoms typically occur reproducibly within 1 hour of exposure to the offending food rather than coming on overnight or being present first thing in the morning.

Question 4

what are the features of urticaria?

Answer 4

A central swelling of variable size (red or white in colour), almost invariably surrounded by an area of redness (flare).

Associated itching or, sometimes, burning sensation.

A fleeting nature, with the skin returning to its normal appearance, usually within 1–24 hours.

can score with Urticaria assessment score 8 UAS7

Question 5

differentials for urticaria?

Answer 5

atopic aczema

contact dermatitis

chronic pruritus

Question 6

how is urticaria managed?

Answer 6

identify underlying cause/trigger

if taking a drug associated with urticaria e.g NSAID trial without

mild = advise it will self resolve

symptomatic = antihistamines

severe = corticosteroids

if really bad, with pain and persistence, can refer to dermatology or immunologist