Analysis of safety oral food challenge using egg yolk

Abstract

 Hen egg is the most common food allergen in Japan. However, there are few reports on the outcomes of oral food challenges (OFC) to egg yolk. This study aimed to investigate the safety of an OFC using heated egg yolk. We retrospectively compared the outcomes of administering the OFC in 5 installments every 15 minutes (5-installment method) and 2 installments every 60 minutes (2-installment method) in 11 and 62 patients, respectively. The median age is 4.1 and 2.1 years old respectively. Herein, compared with the 5-installment method, the incidence of anaphylactic reactions was significantly lower in the patients who underwent an OFC using the 2-installment method. According to the multivariate analysis, the 2-installment method reduced the risk of anaphylaxis independently of other factors. We suggest that the 2-installment method of administering an OFC is safer than the 5-installment method.