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n mortality or morbidity from treatment during Covid.
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is the allergic inflammation of nasal mucosa. Treatment of AR includes pharmacotherapy and allergen immunotherapy. Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) is indicated in inadequate disease control, patient's preference, or impossible allergen avoidance. click here SCIT is an effective treatment but its cost is comparatively high. Efficacy, patient perception, and cost of medication are rarely explored in Asia.
To study efficacy, patient perception, and cost-benefit of SCIT in AR.
We performed a descriptive cross-sectional study at Thammasat University Hospital, Thailand. AR patients who had been receiving SCIT were interview. Current and recall of AR total symptom score (TSS), quality of life, and perception were scored. Cost of medications before SCIT and current cost were reviewed from the medical records.
A total of 142 patients were enrolled. Sixty-eight patients (47.9%) received single allergen; house dust mite was the most common allergen. The median of maintenance phase was 47 months, range 15-142 months. The mean of current TSS was significantly lower than mean TSS before SCIT. Forty-two patients (29.6%) had discontinued SCIT on the day of the interview. After discontinuation of SCIT, TSS was still lower than TSS before SCIT. The average cost of medications including SCIT was lower than that of before SCIT with an average difference of 254.2 USD/year. Sixteen patients (11.3%) experienced systemic reaction, 8 of which had reaction during rush immunotherapy.
SCIT is an effective, cost-saving and safe treatment option for AR. Rush immunotherapy can reduce duration of build-up phase but increase the risk of systemic reaction.
SCIT is an effective, cost-saving and safe treatment option for AR. Rush immunotherapy can reduce duration of build-up phase but increase the risk of systemic reaction.
Food allergy has an impact on the quality of life of both patients and caregivers. It is, therefore, important to have a native language survey to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQL) among food allergic children.
To translate the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Parent Form (FAQLQ-PF) to Thai language, and to validate this tool in Thai parents with food allergic children.
The FAQLQ-PF was translated into Thai language according to WHO guideline. The FAQLQ-PF Thai version was then administered to the parents of food allergic Thai children aged 0-12 years. The FAQLQ-PF Thai version was then readministered to those same parents 10-14 days after they first completed this assessment tool. Internal consistency by Cronbach's α and test-retest reliability by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were assessed. The discriminant validity of the questionnaire was also evaluated.
Ninety parents of participants answered the FAQLQ-PF Thai version. Of those, 9 parents (10%) incompletely answered the first questionnaire. The FAQLQ-PF Thai version showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α ≥ 0.799), but the test-retest reliability was only fair (ICC > 0.6). Factors that adversely affected the quality of life of Thai children with food allergy included age, presence of anaphylaxis, frequency of reactions, and the number of implicated foods. Patients with wheat allergy were negatively impacted in all domains of quality of life, whereas those with shellfish allergy had only emotional impact.
The FAQLQ-PF Thai version is a reliable and valid tool for assessing HRQL in Thai children with food allergy.
The FAQLQ-PF Thai version is a reliable and valid tool for assessing HRQL in Thai children with food allergy.
Chronic rhinitis is a common co-existing disease with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Current evidence on intranasal steroid efficacy as a treatment modality is scarce.
This study assessed the efficacy of intranasal steroid in moderate to severe OSA with coexisting chronic rhinitis.
A prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in non-2nd to 3rd degree obese, non-severe oropharyngeal obstruction, moderate to severe OSA with coexisting chronic rhinitis (total nasal symptom score (TNSS) ≥ 6, BMI < 30 kg/m2, modified Mallampati < 3). We randomized the patients to receive intranasal steroid (fluticasone furoate, 110 mcg/day) or placebo for one-month duration. The primary end point was the change in apnea hypopnea index (AHI).
A total of 34 patients were randomly assigned to receive intranasal steroid (N = 18) or placebo (N = 16). The adjusted absolute difference mean change of AHI did not show significant difference (11.5 ± 7.9 events/hour [95% CI; -4.9 to 27.8; p = 0.16]). Interestingly, significant reduction in non-supine respiratory disturbance index (RDI) (56.1 ± 21.9 events/hour [95% CI; 18.9 to 93.2; p = 0.01]) was observed in intranasal steroid group. When comparison was made within group, only intranasal steroid group demonstrated significant reduction in AHI, RDI, NREM RDI, TNSS, and Thai Pittsburgh sleep quality index (p = 0.02, 0.02, 0.01, 0.003, and < 0.001; respectively) after receiving the drug.
In moderate to severe OSA patients with coexisting chronic rhinitis, intranasal steroid demonstrated significant reduction in obstructive respiratory events during non-supine sleep. Intranasal steroid may be considered as adjunctive or alternative to OSA treatment.
In moderate to severe OSA patients with coexisting chronic rhinitis, intranasal steroid demonstrated significant reduction in obstructive respiratory events during non-supine sleep. Intranasal steroid may be considered as adjunctive or alternative to OSA treatment.
Chronic urticaria is a common distressing allergic skin disorder. Immune dysregulation, histamine release and mast cell degranulation are suggested as its underlying mechanisms.
Add-on therapy of vitamin D was evaluated in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria to determine the quality of life and urticaria severity score.
In a prospective, double-blinded study, 80 participants with chronic spontaneous urticaria were randomized to low (4200 IU/week, group 1) and high (28,000 IU/week, group 2) vitamin D3 supplementation groups for 12 weeks. Demographic data; quality of life, urticaria severity and medication scores; 25-hydroxyvitamin D and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody levels; and autologous serum skin test data were collected.
Both groups showed significantly reduced total urticaria severity score; decrement in group 2 score was significant compared to group 1 at week 6 (P = 0.010). Quality of life score was also significantly reduced; decrement in group 2 score was significant compared to group 1 at both weeks 6 (P = 0.