[Assessment of Polish physicians' therapy behaviour and patterns of prescribing antihistaminic medicines in day-to-day outpatient care].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to assess management of patients with allergies, to evaluate frequency of use of specific antihistamines in population with diagnosed allergy, to evaluate causes and frequency of antihistamines' discontinuation, as well as frequency of allergen identification.


METHODS
This was a multi-centre, observational study, in the form of epidemiological registry. The study was conducted in 1200 centres all over the country. 23 997 patients with diagnosed allergic condition were enrolled into this study.


RESULTS
The most frequent allergic condition in the surveyed population was allergic rhinitis (51% of all enrolled patients), urticaria (28%), and allergic conjunctivitis (20%). Only 6 562 subjects (27%) had been examined with skin prick tests or specific IgE antibodies tests and their allergens had been identified. The remaining subjects had been treated so far with no attempts to identify allergy triggers (allergens). In the surveyed population, the dominant type was pollen allergy (62%) and house dust mites allergy (33%). Only 48% of subjects were on antiallergic treatment at the time of the enrollement into this epidemiological registry. The main causes of medication discontinuation were side effects observed, predominantly sedation.


CONCLUSIONS
The most frequent allergic condition treated in outpatient setting is allergic rhinitis. Only 48% of allergic patients take antiallergic medicines (predominantly antihistamines). The most prevalent reason for treatment discontinuation are side effects, mainly sedation.
Rapiejko
Piotr
P
Klinika Otolaryngologii, Wojskowy Instytut Medyczny w Warszawie. piotr@rapiejko.pl
Piekosz-Orzechowska
Barbara
B
Jurkiewicz
Dariusz
D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006633:Histamine Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D014581:Urticaria / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology
D006633:Histamine Antagonists