title: Grading the severity of allergic rhinitis for treatment strategy and drug study purposes.
abstract: Grading the severity of rhinitis symptoms is essential for the evaluation of drug efficacy. However, a uniform grading system has not been standardized. A review of 44 journal articles and symposia from Japan, Copenhagen, and the World Health Organization indicates major differences among systems. All except the World Health Organization used a sum of rhinitis scores. The lack of standardization limits comparisons of subjective symptom changes after comparable treatments. Corrective measures include the use of evidence-based definitions of independent nasal symptoms, avoidance of biases in evaluation, and establishment of international consensus for a standardized scale in this era of globalization.
authors.affiliation: Japan Allergy and Asthma Clinic, Nippon Medical School, 1-1 Sendagi, Bunkyoku, Tokyo, Japan. mok655@nms.ac.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okuda
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012223:Rhinitis, Vasomotor / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration