Successful immunotherapy. A partnership between consultant and general practitioner.
BACKGROUND
Allergen-specific immunotherapy has been used to treat allergic patients for many decades. Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated its efficacy in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis, perennial allergic rhinitis, stinging insect allergy and allergic asthma.


OBJECTIVE
This article discusses antigen specific immunotherapy and outlines the conditions that respond well to it.


CONCLUSIONS
Immunotherapy has the potential to cause immediate systemic reactions which rarely may result in fatal anaphylaxis. Therefore, only practitioners with appropriate training and expertise should make the decision to prescribe immunotherapy based on careful patient selection and extract prescription. Patients receiving this therapy require supervision in a setting with the necessary resuscitation equipment by a practitioner with the skills to recognise and treat adverse events.
Katelaris
C H
CH
Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Westmead Hospital, New South Wales.
D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy*; D003253:Consultants; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D018579:Patient Selection; D010821:Physicians, Family; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000628:therapy*
D000485:Allergens