Children who develop hives need prompt medical attention. If the hives are caused by eating certain foods, edema in the throat area is likely to occur. In severe cases of urticaria, a drop in blood pressure and an increase in heart rate, followed by life-threatening anaphylactic shock, may occur, and antihistamines must be given orally. The safer antihistamines for children are loratadine, cetirizine, and desloratadine, and must be taken regularly as prescribed by the doctor. If the hives are secondary to an infection, the infection needs to be actively controlled, so for patients with feverish hives, blood tests must be performed to check for bacterial and viral infections, and active control should be given. In severe cases of urticaria, glucocorticoids or epinephrine should be given for anti-shock and anti-allergy treatment.