Evaluation of a children's pollen immunotherapy service

Fitzsimons, Roisin, Fox, Adam T., Holloway, Judith, Kane, Patricia and Roberts, Graham (2013) Evaluation of a children's pollen immunotherapy service. Current Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 26 (3), 137-144.

Abstract

Background: The international group, Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) developed guidelines for the management of allergic rhinitis (AR) defining criteria to enable clinicians to identify those suitable for specific
immunotherapy (SIT). This article examines the management of AR in children and describes a service evaluation which examines the safety and efficacy of SIT in a children’s tertiary allergy service.

Methods: Data for the service evaluation were gathered from the clinic notes of children who commenced either sublingual (SLIT) or subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) to tree or grass pollen prior to the 2011 season.

Results: Data were obtained from 54 (66.7%) children receiving grass and 27 (33.3%) receiving tree pollen SIT. Children who had immunotherapy administered via the subcutaneous route had more reactions on administration (77.8%); none of the reactions were life-threatening or required administration of adrenaline. There was a significant improvement in quality of life questionnaire (QLQ) scores in children receiving SIT; 90.9% of parents felt there was improvement (p<0.0001).

Conclusion: Both modalities of SIT were shown to be safe in this cohort of children. Despite only having 1 year’s treatment with immunotherapy there was a significant improvement in QLQ scores for children in both the SCIT and SLIT groups.

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Contributors

Author: Judith Holloway

Author: Graham Roberts

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