eMedicine Specialties > Allergy and Immunology > Urticaria and Angioedema

Urticaria: Follow-up

Author: Javed Sheikh, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Clinical Director, Division of Allergy and Inflammation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Clinical Director, Center for Eosinophilic Disorders, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Coauthor(s): Umer Najib, MD, Clinical Research Fellow, Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Inflammation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jun 5, 2009

Follow-up

Prognosis

  • Acute urticaria usually resolves with only symptomatic treatment. If a known triggering factor is present, the urticaria should resolve with appropriate avoidance. If a patient continues to be exposed to a known trigger, the condition may become chronic.
  • The prognosis of patients with chronic urticaria is highly variable. Episodes can last for days, weeks, months, or even years at a time. Some patients may only have one episode and never have urticaria again. Others have recurrences after months or years. Recurrences are more likely to occur during periods of stress and illness. As many as 20% of patients with chronic urticaria have symptoms for more than 10 years. In many of these patients, the condition can become quite debilitating and psychologically distressing.

Patient Education

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • The major potential pitfall is failure to recognize when urticaria is accompanied by life-threatening angioedema or anaphylaxis. Discuss a detailed management plan with patients who have had previous life-threatening events or who are at risk for life-threatening angioedema or anaphylaxis, and prescribe injectable epinephrine.
  • Another potential pitfall is failure to diagnose one of the related medical conditions noted in Differentials.
 


More on Urticaria

Overview: Urticaria
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Urticaria
Treatment & Medication: Urticaria
Follow-up: Urticaria
Multimedia: Urticaria
References
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Further Reading

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Keywords

urticaria, hives, acute urticaria, chronic urticaria, chronic idiopathic urticaria, CIU, angioedema, welts, pruritus, dermographism, erythema, itching, delayed pressure urticaria, urticarial vasculitis, anaphylaxis

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Javed Sheikh, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Clinical Director, Division of Allergy and Inflammation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Clinical Director, Center for Eosinophilic Disorders, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Javed Sheikh, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology and American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Disclosure: UCB Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Sanofi-Aventis Honoraria Speaking and teaching; GlaxoSmithKline Grant/research funds Clinical Trial funding; GlaxoSmithKline Consulting fee Review panel membership; Novartis Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Genentech Honoraria Speaking and teaching; MedPointe Pharmaceuticals  Speaking and teaching

Coauthor(s)

Umer Najib, MD, Clinical Research Fellow, Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Inflammation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Stephen C Dreskin, MD, PhD, Director of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Practice, Professor of Medicine, Departments of Internal Medicine and Immunology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Stephen C Dreskin, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Association of Immunologists, American Association of Neuropathologists, American Association of Ophthalmic Pathologists, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Clinical Immunology Society, and Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Disclosure: Genentech Consulting fee Consulting

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Stephen C Dreskin, MD, PhD, Director of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Practice, Professor of Medicine, Departments of Internal Medicine and Immunology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Stephen C Dreskin, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Association of Immunologists, American Association of Neuropathologists, American Association of Ophthalmic Pathologists, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Clinical Immunology Society, and Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Disclosure: Genentech Consulting fee Consulting

CME Editor

Timothy D Rice, MD, Associate Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Timothy D Rice, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Physicians
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Michael A Kaliner, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine; Chief, Section of Allergy and Immunology, Washington Hospital Center; Medical Director, Institute for Asthma and Allergy
Michael A Kaliner, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, American Association of Immunologists, American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, American Society for Clinical Investigation, American Thoracic Society, and Association of American Physicians
Disclosure: Abbott Consulting fee Consulting; Alcon Consulting fee Consulting; Glaxo Consulting fee Consulting; Greer Consulting fee Consulting; Sanofi Consulting fee Consulting; Schering Consulting fee Consulting; Teva  Consulting; Meda Honoraria Speaking and teaching

 
 
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