title: Demographics and long-term follow-up in a Veterans Affairs Allergy/Immunology Center: a 10-year analysis.
abstract: Between 1985 and 1992, patients were evaluated as new outpatient consultations in the Allergy/Immunology Center at the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Health Care System (VAGLAHS). Data collected included age, gender, ethnicity, and diagnosis. After 10 years, patient follow-up status was determined and classified into five categories: gender, ethnic distribution, age distribution, disorders seen, and follow-up pattern. A total of 1116 patients were evaluated. The gender of our population was 7.8% women and 92.2% men. The ethnic distribution was 59.5% white, 32.2% black, 6.5% Hispanic, and 1.9% other. Neither age nor ethnic distribution was significantly different from the general veterans affairs population. Age of patients ranged from 20 to 90 years old. The largest peak for age at initial presentation was 60 years. The three most common disorders seen in the clinic were rhinitis (36.6%), asthma (24.5%), and sinusitis (12.3%). The 10-year follow-up pattern of patients revealed that 6% were seen in the past year, 6.2% of patients were seen longer than 1 year ago but within the 5 past years, 29% of patients who were still seen at VAGLAHS but were no longer patients of the allergy clinic, 32.7% of patients who were no longer seen at VAGLAHS, and 26.2% died. Women and patients who were 50-60 years old were more likely to follow-up. There was no difference in follow-up visits among ethnic groups.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA.
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Volpp
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Klaustermeyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000628:therapy*; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs