Side-effects of injective allergen immunotherapy administered to intermittent or persistent allergic rhinitis patients.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluation of the side-effects of conventional subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy in inhalant allergy.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of early and late, local and systemic, short-term and long-term side-effects of 4723 injections given to 224 patients suffering from intermittent or persistent allergic rhinitis.


RESULTS
There were 65 systemic reactions in 48 patients (21%) after 61 injections (1.29%). Most of them were late, and included dyspnoea, rhinorrhoea, fever, fatigue and urticaria. Incidence of systemic reactions did not correlate to age or sex, but was higher in grass pollen than in house dust mite allergy and during the up-dosing phase of treatment. Late intense local reactions were observed after 1.6% of injections.


CONCLUSIONS
Allergen immunotherapy in inhalant allergy is a safe method of treatment.
Rogala
B
B
Chair and Clinical Department of Internal Diseases, Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Silesian University School of Medicine, Zabrze, Poland. b_rogala@pro.onet.pl
Markiewicz-Bendkowska
I B
IB
Brzoza
Z
Z
Glück
J
J
Oleś
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000485:Allergens