No Association Between First Exposure to General Anaesthesia and Atopic Dermatitis in the Paediatric Population

Abstract

General anaesthesia could affect various immune responses, including Th1 and Th2 immunity, which might also affect cells that play an important role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. However, the relationship between general anaesthesia exposure and atopic dermatitis remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of developing atopic dermatitis after first exposure to general anaesthesia in the paediatric population (18 years or under). A retrospective cohort study, including those exposed (n = 7,681) and unexposed (n = 38,405; control participants) to general anaesthesia (1:5 ratio), was conducted using national sample cohort data from 2002 to 2015. All participants were followed up for 2 years after cohort entry. The 2-year cumulative incidences of atopic dermatitis in the exposed and unexposed groups were 2.3% and 2.2%, respectively. In the subgroup analysis by age, the cumulative incidence was not significantly different between these cohorts. The risks of atopic dermatitis were not significant in the exposed group in the univariate model (hazard ratio 1.05; confidence interval 0.88–1.24) and in the multivariate model, wherein all covariates were adjusted (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.03; confidence interval 0.87–1.23). The results suggest that children’s exposure to general anaesthesia was not associated with increased or decreased risk of atopic dermatitis.

General Anesthesia in Early Childhood Significantly Reduces Asthma Incidence and Clinical Visits: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

“…Our previous study reported that children receiving GA exposure before one year of age reduced the risk of developing allergic diseases, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis, by approximately 25–40% [ 34 ]. However, one study of children’s exposure to GA did not demonstrate either an increased or decreased risk of atopic dermatitis (2.3%) compared to the non-GA-exposed group (2.2%) when followed up for two years after cohort entry [ 51 ]. The authors stated that board-certified dermatologists only diagnosed the participants in that study with subsequent atopic dermatitis.…”