ALLRGY ANAPHLXS X PRED?

Grunau BE, et al. Emergency Department Corticosteroid Use for Allergy or Anaphylaxis Is Not Associated With Decreased Relapses. Ann Emerg Med. 2015. PMID: 25820033

• Big observational study looking at 2700 allergic reactions (nearly 500 with anaphylaxis). Nearly half (only half?) got steroid bursts, with no difference in outcomes. Notably there were no deaths, only a handful of biphasic reactions, and single-digit ED revisits in both groups; and, of course, this is only an observational study. Won’t change my practice (is there much harm in 3 days of prednisone?) but certainly makes me think.
• Recommended by: Seth Trueger