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http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/444728

Nov. 18, 2002 — Rapid allergen vaccination (RAV) is safe, effective, and well-tolerated, according to a study presented on Nov. 17 at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 60th Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

"Immunotherapy (allergen vaccination) is an effective therapy for children suffering from allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma," write William L. Smits, MD, from the Allergy and Asthma Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and colleagues. "Significant doses of allergen vaccinations can be safely and successfully achieved using a 2 1/2 hour RAV protocol for children."

Of 37 patients in this study, all had allergic rhinitis, and 25 (67.6%) had mild to severe persistent asthma. After premedication with prednisolone and H1 antagonists, all patients were treated with RAV over a 2 1/2 hour period, achieving dosages which require six months to reach with conventional allergen vaccination. Compliance rates were 91.9% at three months, 86.5% at six months, and 75.7% at 12 months.

None of the patients experienced a systemic reaction during treatment. Three patients (8.1%) complained of mild localized reaction during the procedure which did not require any treatment, and two patients (5.3%) experienced a self-limited, mild, systemic reaction within three months after the procedure. All five of these patients resumed conventional allergen vaccination from the termination point of their RAV schedule.

"Compliance rates were high, which may be attributed to a more convenient vaccination schedule and/or a more rapid onset of efficacy," the authors write. "RAV may have advantages over conventional allergen vaccination related to decreased monetary costs, decreased time to efficacy, and improved compliance rates."

ACAAI 60th Annual Meeting: Concurrent Session 13. Presented Nov. 17, 2002.

Reviewed by Gary D. Vogin, MD

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Laurie Barclay, MD is a staff writer with WebMD. Medscape Medical News is edited by Deborah Flapan, a news coordinator at Medscape. Send press releases and comments to news@webmd.net.   Medscape Medical News 2002. © 2002 Medscape

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