New Approaches To Consumer Education And Treatment Of Allergic Diseasespresented At Annual Meeting

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Also Included In: Allergy
Article Date: 15 Mar 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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Since a patients' understanding of asthma symptoms and their management plan is vital to preventing asthma complications, Amanda Hudgins, MD and colleagues at Texas Tech University presented their study at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). They studied the effectiveness of a one day asthma camp on childrens' understanding of their disease.

Children ages 6-11 years with previously diagnosed mild to moderate asthma were given a test upon arrival at the camp. The test consisted of 13 multiple choice and true false questions about asthma symptoms and management, with the addition of 2 questions requiring the naming of their controller and reliever medication. The children took the same test at the end of the day, and the percent improvement in test scores was determined.

"The average improvement in score was 73% and the greatest improvement in scores was found in the 6-7 year old group," commented Hudgins. The study concluded that a one day asthma camp is an effective way to provide asthma education, and is a successful method to increase asthma knowledge in children.

Barriers to usage of a web-based asthma education program

Sally Hollman, BS, RN and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin, Madison developed a study to test the effectiveness of a web-based, interactive computer program designed to help participant's manage their child's asthma when compared to usual medical care.

Over a two year period, 305 participants whose children had poorly-controlled asthma were enrolled. Of those who used the web site, 58 percent logged in less than twice a month during a twelve-month period and 54 percent of these log-ins occurred during the first three months. The study concluded that "busy lifestyles, technical problems, and a perceived lack of need affected the utilization of a web-based asthma health educational program," commented Hollman.

Sublingual immunotherapy with honeybee venom is effective in patients with large local reactions due to bee sting. A randomized, double blind placebo controlled trial Sublingual immunotherapy is effective in respiratory allergy, and the good safety profile is its main characteristic. It can be hypothesized that this treatment is of benefit also in hymenoptera venom allergy, but there is so far no study on this aspect.

To test this hypothesis, Giovanni Passalacqua, MD and colleagues at Genoa University, Italy assessed the effect of sublingual immunotherapy with a honeybee venom extract on large local skin reactions provoked by a controlled sting challenge under medical supervision. After 6 months, the diameter of the local reaction was significantly reduced in almost all the patients receiving sublingual immunotherapy, whereas no change was seen in the control group.

This is the first demonstration that sublingual immunotherapy displays a clinical effect in hymenoptera allergy, but these results are preliminary and need to be confirmed with systemic reactions and with the approved indications for immunotherapy.

The AAAAI represents allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and others with a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic disease. Allergy/immunology specialists are pediatric or internal medicine physicians who have elected an additional two years of training to become specialized in the treatment of asthma, allergy and immunologic disease. Established in 1943, the AAAAI has more than 6,500 members in the United States, Canada and 60 other countries.

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology