Many Kids Unnecessarily Hospitalized Following Allergic Reactions

FRIDAY, June 27, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Many kids are spending a lot of unnecessary time under observation in a hospital following a sudden allergic emergency, a new study concludes.

About 17% of kids are admitted for overnight observation following a scary allergic reaction to food, medicine or insect bites, researchers reported. 

But 95% of children treated for allergic reactions can be safely discharged within two hours after receiving a dose of epinephrine, according to results published in The Lancet: Child and Adolescent Health.

That number rises to 98% if doctors err on the side of caution and keep kids under observation for four hours, researchers found.