title: ERASM, a pharmacoepidemiologic survey on management of intermittent allergic rhinitis in every day general medical practice in France.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The actual management of intermittent allergic rhinitis is still little known about, despite the disease being very prevalent. We used a cross-sectional survey to address this issue in everyday general medical practice in France.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1321 general practitioners enrolled 3026 patients consulting for a spring exacerbation of allergic rhinitis. Both doctors and patients filled out a specific questionnaire on allergic rhinitis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  These patients consulted their doctor two-and-a-half weeks, on average, after the onset of their symptoms. They were bothered for an average of six days per week (5.9 +/- 1.7 days) and for two months per year (8.7 +/- 7.7 weeks) by symptoms which largely exceed the ENT (ear, nose and throat) field, with ocular symptoms (51.7%), pharyngeal irritation (39.0%), cough (30.8%), or respiratory discomfort (17.9%). Of these patients 79.2% had some impairment of their professional life and 91.8% of their daily life. Fifty percent of patients knew to what allergens they were allergic; only 11.1% had additional laboratory tests and 10.3% had subsequent specialist consultation (for most this was with an allergologist). Prescribed drugs were oral antihistamines (92.4%) and nasal glucocorticosteroids (45.2%). Prescriptions were written for a duration of six weeks on average. Seventy-nine percent of patients considered that the information they had received was adequate and easy to understand, but 58.2% of patients would have liked more advice. Furthermore, only 54.7% followed their doctor's prescription scrupulously, and 44% used frequent self-medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intermittent allergic rhinitis is a real health problem because of its increasing prevalence, the induction of impaired quality of life and loss of performance, especially at work. General practitioners play a major role in this disorder; they make the diagnosis, start the treatment, give the relevant information, and monitor most of the patients.
authors.affiliation: Service des Maladies Respiratoires, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Demoly
authors.forename: F-A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Allaert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lecasble
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011216:Practice Management, Medical; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012423:Rural Health; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014504:Urban Health