Search

Copyright of Cultura Educación y Sociedad is the property of Corporacion Universidad de la Costa, CUC and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The increased prevalence of asthma has been associated with an increase in atopic sensitization, and it is parallel with similar increases in other allergic diseases. In United States, Blomia tropicalis has the fourth place between the most known types of house dust mites, and is the most common in the southern subtropical states. In Mexico there have been few studies to investigate sensitization to this mite. Objective: To identify the prevalence of sensitization to Blomia tropicalis and Dermatophagoides in patients with rhinitis and/or allergic bronchial asthma in a population of the metropolitan area of Mexico. Patients and method: We selected 334 patients with a diagnosis of rhinitis and/or bronchial asthma, 149 men and 185 women, aged between 3 and 74 years, of which 189 had positive skin tests to at least one of the mites (Dermatophagoides and/or Blomia tropicalis). We measured the wheal area and compared the averages of the surface of the wheal and correlations were made of the results using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The total number of patients who presented positive skin test to Blomia tropicalis in association with other mites was 53 (28.0%) and the total number of patients who presented positive skin test to only Blomia tropicalis was 23 (12.1%). Correlations of r = 0.45, 0.45 and 0.68 (statistically significant, p < 0.05) were found between the three species of Dermatophagoides, while there was no correlation between positive dermoreactions of Blomia tropicalis with those of Dermatophagoides. Conclusions: In the metropolitan area of Mexico City, while not having a tropical or sub-tropical weather, it is important to include Blomia tropicalis in diagnostic panels of allergens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Allergic rhinitis is an inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa, with common symptoms, which is essentially characterized by nasal itching, nasal congestion, sneezing, hyaline rhinorrhea and repetitive sneezing. The disease is very common, 15% of the population worldwide suffers it. Among many treatments that have been used to relieve the symptoms of this disease there is a selective inhibitor of H1 receptors, ebastine. Objective: To evaluate patient satisfaction using the scale of Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM). Material and methods: A multicentric, retrospective, observational study performed in 250 Mexican patients with the diagnosis of intermittent allergic rhinitis (IAR) or persistent allergic rhinitis (PER), confirmed by prick test, specific IgE, or both, treated with lyophilised ebastine in fast-dissolving (FDT) 20 mg at any time in the last two months, prescribed for at least two weeks by their doctor to relieve the symptoms of intermittent allergic rhinitis or persistent allergic rhinitis. We used a validated questionnaire assessment scales, TSQM. Results: The presentation of ebastine fast-dissolving (FDT) is effective and has good tolerability, over 80% of patients reported comfort and satisfaction using it. Conclusions: Assessment of overall satisfaction, efficacy, tolerability and comfort showed that ebastine in fast-dissolving is an antihistamine with clear benefits to encourage compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]