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Background: Peanuts (PN) and tree nuts (TN) are major causes of anaphylaxis worldwide. We aimed to determine the clinical and demographic characteristics associated with anaphylaxis in patients sensitized to PN and/or TN in a Mediterranean population. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study, which included 198 patients allergic to PN and/or TN (allergy symptoms plus specific immunoglobulin E [sIgE] sensitization), evaluated in consultations from January 2015 to December 2020. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression models were developed, including demographic, clinical, and laboratory data as independent variables, and anaphylaxis to each PN and/or TN as a dependent variables. Results: Anaphylaxis was associated with an earlier age of onset of allergy to PN, cashew and/or pistachio, and pine nut allergy but not to other TN allergies. Gender, atopic comorbidities, and cofactors were not associated with PN and/or TN anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis to PN, cashew and/or pistachio, and pine nut were associated with reactivity to a fewer number of PN and/or TN foods. Although sIgE sensitization to lipid transfer proteins (LTP) was highly prevalent in our population, only seed storage protein (SSP) positivity was associated with anaphylaxis in PN allergy. The absence of pathogenesis-related protein family 10 sensitization correlated with PN and hazelnut anaphylaxis. A higher level of sIgE to almond extract predicted anaphylaxis but the level of sIgE to other PN and/or TN extracts did not predict it. Conclusion: The high prevalence of sensitization to the pan-allergen LTP did not seem to have a significant impact in PN and/or TN allergy severity in our study. Instead, other factors, such as early age of onset and positivity for SSPs, seem to strongly associate with anaphylaxis to specific PN and/or TN. These findings may contribute to individual risk assessment in these populations.

Biomarkers for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with rhinitis and/or asthma are urgently needed. Although some biologic biomarkers exist in specialist care for asthma, they cannot be largely used in primary care. There are no validated biomarkers in rhinitis or allergen immunotherapy (AIT) that can be used in clinical practice. The digital transformation of health and health care (including mHealth) places the patient at the center of the health system and is likely to optimize the practice of allergy. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) and EAACI (European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) developed a Task Force aimed at proposing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) as digital biomarkers that can be easily used for different purposes in rhinitis and asthma. It first defined control digital biomarkers that should make a bridge between clinical practice, randomized controlled trials, observational real-life studies and allergen challenges. Using the MASK-air app as a model, a daily electronic combined symptom-medication score for allergic diseases (CSMS) or for asthma (e-DASTHMA), combined with a monthly control questionnaire, was embedded in a strategy similar to the diabetes approach for disease control. To mimic real-life, it secondly proposed quality-of-life digital biomarkers including daily EQ-5D visual analogue scales and the bi-weekly RhinAsthma Patient Perspective (RAAP). The potential implications for the management of allergic respiratory diseases were proposed.

Background: Validated combined symptom-medication scores (CSMSs) are needed to investigate the effects of allergic rhinitis treatments. This study aimed to use real-life data from the MASK-air® app to generate and validate hypothesis- and data-driven CSMSs. Methods: We used MASK-air® data to assess the concurrent validity, test-retest reliability and responsiveness of one hypothesis-driven CSMS (modified CSMS: mCSMS), one mixed hypothesis- and data-driven score (mixed score), and several data-driven CSMSs. The latter were generated with MASK-air® data following cluster analysis and regression models or factor analysis. These CSMSs were compared with scales measuring (i) the impact of rhinitis on work productivity (visual analogue scale [VAS] of work of MASK-air®, and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment: Allergy Specific [WPAI-AS]), (ii) quality-of-life (EQ-5D VAS) and (iii) control of allergic diseases (Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test [CARAT]). Results: We assessed 317,176 days of MASK-air® use from 17,780 users aged 16-90 years, in 25 countries. The mCSMS and the factor analyses-based CSMSs displayed poorer validity and responsiveness compared to the remaining CSMSs. The latter displayed moderate-to-strong correlations with the tested comparators, high test-retest reliability and moderate-to-large responsiveness. Among data-driven CSMSs, a better performance was observed for cluster analyses-based CSMSs. High accuracy (capacity of discriminating different levels of rhinitis control) was observed for the latter (AUC-ROC = 0.904) and for the mixed CSMS (AUC-ROC = 0.820). Conclusion: The mixed CSMS and the cluster-based CSMSs presented medium-high validity, reliability and accuracy, rendering them as candidates for primary endpoints in future rhinitis trials.

Temporary henna tattoos have become increasingly popular, particularly among children and teenagers. The word “henna” is of Persian origin, and it is prepared from the plant Lawsonia inermis belonging to the family Lythraceae. Concerning allergic reactions, natural henna paste is rarely responsible for contact dermatitis, which is more frequent if paraphenylenediamine (PPD) is added to the paste. The authors present a case of female child with erythematous exanthems that appeared after the application of black henna tattoo. A diagnosis of contact dermatitis to black henna tattoo was hypothesised. Epicutaneous tests were performed at the Immunoalergology Department of the Coimbra University Hospital using standard European battery and natural henna paste. The tests revealed positive reaction to PPD.

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The first reports of hypersensitivity reactions following the rollout of COVID-19 vaccination programs have raised public concern. Given the recent availability and novel mechanisms of COVID-19 vaccines, there is limited data on possible hypersensitivity reactions. Although it seems rare, the incidence of anaphylaxis for approved COVID-19 vaccines has been suggested as being higher when compared to previous vaccines. Adequate risk assessment, recognition, classification, and management of hypersensitivity reactions is crucial to ensure safe immunization and avoid misinformation and vaccine hesitancy. In this review, we present an overview of the types of hypersensitivity reactions that can potentially occur due to vaccination and the possible allergenic components of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as a suggestion for causality and risk assessment for the BNT162b2, mRNA-1273 and AZD1222 vaccines.Após o início dos programas de vacinação contra a COVID-19, os primeiros relatos de reações de hipersensibilidade suscitaram alguma preocupação. Dada a recente disponibilidade e os novos mecanismos das vacinas contra a COVID-19, existem poucos dados relativos a possíveis reações de hipersensibilidade. A incidência de anafilaxia às vacinas COVID-19 parece ser mais elevada comparativamente a vacinas anteriores, embora seja igualmente rara. Uma avaliação adequada dos riscos, reconhecimento, classificação e correta abordagem das reações de hipersensibilidade é crucial para garantir uma imunização segura e evitar desinformação e hesitação na vacinação. Nesta revisão, apresentamos uma visão geral das potenciais reações de hipersensibilidade que podem ocorrer após a vacinação com as vacinas BNT162b2, mRNA-1273 e AZD1222, os seus possíveis constituintes alergénicos, bem como uma sugestão de avaliação do risco em doentes alérgicos e causalidade.

A iniciativa Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) teve início há mais de 20 anos e tem elaborado e disseminado orientações baseadas em evidência, e desenvolvido projetos na área da rinite alérgica. Esta iniciativa está atualmente focada em proporcionar orientações centradas no doente que contribuam para um percurso integrado entre os vários níveis de cuidados e que tirem partido de soluções digitais, tendo sido recomendada a introdução na prática clínica de percursos assistenciais integrados. Neste artigo descrevemos a adaptação para Portugal do documento ARIA Integrated Care Pathways. Após breve revisão sobre a epidemiologia e o impacto da rinite alérgica em Portugal e das atividades realizadas em Portugal no âmbito da iniciativa ARIA, é descrito o conjunto alargado de conhecimento utilizado para o desenvolvimento das recomendações para o tratamento farmacológico da rinite alérgica, recomendações essas baseadas na metodologia GRADE, evidência do mundo real adquirida por tecnologia móvel (mHealth) e resultante de estudos de câmara de exposição alergénica. Em seguida, são resumidos os percursos assistenciais integrados para imunoterapia com alergénios produzidas em 2019. Considera-se a imunoterapia com alergénios um exemplo de medicina de precisão e em que a utilização de tecnologias mHealth permitirá melhorar a estratificação para seleção dos doentes e monitorização da resposta. Estas recomendações foram consideradas como ‘boas práticas’ dos cuidados integrados centrados no doente apoiados por sistemas digitais da DG Santé (Direção Geral de Saúde e de Segurança Alimentar da União Europeia) e representam a estratégia de gestão da mudança da fase 4 do ARIA., The Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) initiative started more than 20 years ago and has developed and disseminated evidence-based guidelines and projects in the field of allergic rhinitis. This initiative is currently focused on providing patient-centred guidelines that contribute to an integrated care pathway between the various levels of care and take advantage of digital solutions, and the introduction of integrated care pathways in clinical practice has been recommended. In this article we describe the adaptation for Portugal of the ARIA Integrated Care Pathways document. After a brief review of the epidemiology and impact of allergic rhinitis in Portugal and the activities carried out in Portugal within the ARIA initiative, we describe the broad knowledge base used for the development of recommendations for the pharmacological treatment of allergic rhinitis, and these recommendations are based on the GRADE methodology, real world evidence acquired by mobile technology (mHealth) and resulting from allergenic exposure chamber studies. What follows is a summary of integrated care pathways for allergen immunotherapy produced in 2019. Allergen immunotherapy is considered an example of precision medicine where the use of mHealth technologies will improve stratification for patient selection and response monitoring. These recommendations were considered as best practices of integrated patient-centred care supported by digital systems from Directorate General for Health and Food Safety of the European Union (DG Santé) and represent the ARIA Phase 4 Change Management strategy.

Funding Information: IA reports personal fees from Roxall, Menarini, UCB, Faes Farma, Sanofi, Bial, Amgen, Abbott, Bayer, Organon. SBA reports grants from TEVA, personal fees from TEVA, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, Sanofi, Mylan. JB reports personal fees from Chiesi, Cipla, Hikma, Menarini, Mundipharma, Mylan, Novartis, Sanofi‐Aventis, Takeda, Teva, Uriach, other from KYomed‐Innov, personal fees from Purina, other from MASK‐air. VC reports personal fees from Thermofisher. PCM reports personal fees from Abbvie, AZ, Bial, GSK, Mylan, Medinfar, Novartis, Sanofi. LC reports personal fees from Malesci, Menarini, Astra Zeneca, Novartis. AC reports grants and personal fees from Astrazeneca, GSK, Sanofi, personal fees from Boehringer‐Ingelheim, Chiesi, Glenmark, Novartis, personal fees from Mylan, Abdi‐Ibrahim. PD reports personal fees and non‐financial support from Stallergenes Greer, ALK‐Abello, Astra Zeneca, CHIESI, MYLAN/Meda Pharma, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, IQVIA personal fees from MENARINI. JAFonseca reports participation in SME that has mHealth technologies for patients with asthma. JCI reports personal fees from Abbott Ecuador, Bago Bolivia, Faes Farma, Laboratorios Casasco, Sanofi. LK reports grants and personal fees from Allergopharma, LETI Pharma,MEDA/Mylan, Sanofi, personal fees from HAL Allergie, Allergy Therapeut., Cassella med, grants from ALK Abelló, Stallergenes, Quintiles, ASIT biotech, Lofarma, AstraZeneca, GSK, Inmunotk, and Membership: AeDA, DGHNO, Deutsche Akademie für Allergologie und klinische Immunologie, HNO‐BV, GPA, EAACI. VK reports other from Norameda, BerlinCHemie Menarini. PK reports personal fees from Adamed, AstraZeneca, Berlin Chemie Menarini, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, GSK, Novartis, Polpharma. DLL reports personal fees from Allakos, Amstrong, Astrazeneca, Chiesi, DBV Technologies, Grunenthal, GSK, Mylan/Viatris, Menarini, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Siegfried, UCB, Alakos, Gossamer, Carnot, grants from Sanofi, Astrazeneca, Novartis, Circassia, UCB, GSK, Purina institute, Abvvie, Lilly, Pfizer. BL reports grants and personal fees from Meda, personal fees from Glenamrk. RL reports grants and personal fees from GSK, AZ, Chiesi, personal fees from Novartis, Sanofi. MM reports personal fees from Novartis, Gsk, Menarini, Az, Chiesi, Sanofi, Pfizer. RM reports personal fees from Angelini Pharma ALK, Allergopharma, Allergy Therapeutics, Friulchem, Hexal, Servier, Klosterfrau, Bayer, FAES, GSK, MSD, Johnson&Johnson, Meda, Stada, UCB, Nuvo, Menarini, Mundipharma, Pohl‐Boskamp, Laboratoire de la Mer, Sidroga, Lek, PRO‐AdWise, grants and personal fees from Bencard, Stallergenes, Ursapharm, HAL BV, grants from Leti, Optima, BitopAG, Hulka, Inmunotek, Cassella‐med GmbH & Co. KG, ASIT biotech, grants, personal fees and non‐financial support from Lofarma, non‐financial support from Roxall, Atmos, Bionorica, Otonomy, Ferrero, personal fees and non‐financial support from Novartis. OP reports grants and personal fees from ALK‐Abelló, Allergopharma, Stallergenes Greer HAL Allergy Holding B.V./HAL Allergie GmbH, Bencard Allergie GmbH/Allergy Therapeutics, Lofarma, ASIT Biotech Tools S.A., Laboratorios LETI/LETI Pharma, Anergis S.A., GlaxoSmithKline, personal fees from MEDA Pharma/MYLAN, Mobile Chamber Experts (a GA2LEN Partner), Indoor Biotechnologies, Astellas Pharma Global, EUFOREA, ROXALL Medizin, Novartis, Sanofi‐Aventis and Sanofi‐Genzyme, Med Update Europe GmbH, streamedup! GmbH, John Wiley and Sons, AS, Paul‐Martini‐Stiftung (PMS), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., RG Aerztefortbildung, Institut für Disease Management, Springer GmbH, AstraZeneca, IQVIA Commercial, Ingress Health, grants from Pohl‐Boskamp, Inmunotek S.L., Biomay, Circassia. NGPapadopoulos reports personal fees from Novartis, Nutricia, HAL, MENARINI/FAES FARMA, SANOFI, MYLAN/MEDA, BIOMAY, AstraZeneca, GSK, MSD, ASIT BIOTECH, Boehringer Ingelheim, grants from Gerolymatos International SA, Capricare. ATB reports personal fees from AstraZeneca, GSK, Novartis, IQVIA/Abbvie, Mylan, Bial, Leti, grants and personal fees from Teva. STS reports personal fees from ERT, Roche products, Novartis, Sanofi Pharma, AstraZeneca, ALK‐ Abelló grants from Glaxo Smith Kline. IT reports grants from GSK, Boehringer Ingelheim, AZ, personal fees from Novartis, Astra Zeneca, Chiesi, TZ reports Organizational affiliations: Committee member: WHO‐Initiative “Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma” (ARIA); Member of the Board: German Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI); Head: European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF). President: Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN); Member: Committee on Allergy Diagnosis and Molecular Allergology, World Allergy Organization (WAO). Funding Information: MASK‐air® has been supported by EU grants (POLLAR, EIT Health; Structural and Development Funds, Twinning, EIP on AHA and H2020) and educational grants from Mylan‐Viatris, ALK, GSK, Novartis and Uriach 1 1 Publisher Copyright: © 2022 European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Background: Different treatments exist for allergic rhinitis (AR), including pharmacotherapy and allergen immunotherapy (AIT), but they have not been compared using direct patient data (i.e., “real-world data”). We aimed to compare AR pharmacological treatments on (i) daily symptoms, (ii) frequency of use in co-medication, (iii) visual analogue scales (VASs) on allergy symptom control considering the minimal important difference (MID) and (iv) the effect of AIT. Methods: We assessed the MASK-air® app data (May 2015–December 2020) by users self-reporting AR (16–90 years). We compared eight AR medication schemes on reported VAS of allergy symptoms, clustering data by the patient and controlling for confounding factors. We compared (i) allergy symptoms between patients with and without AIT and (ii) different drug classes used in co-medication. Results: We analysed 269,837 days from 10,860 users. Most days (52.7%) involved medication use. Median VAS levels were significantly higher in co-medication than in monotherapy (including the fixed combination azelastine-fluticasone) schemes. In adjusted models, azelastine-fluticasone was associated with lower average VAS global allergy symptoms than all other medication schemes, while the contrary was observed for oral corticosteroids. AIT was associated with a decrease in allergy symptoms in some medication schemes. A difference larger than the MID compared to no treatment was observed for oral steroids. Azelastine-fluticasone was the drug class with the lowest chance of being used in co-medication (adjusted OR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.71–0.80). Conclusion: Median VAS levels were higher in co-medication than in monotherapy. Patients with more severe symptoms report a higher treatment, which is currently not reflected in guidelines. publishersversion published

Background Allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma are two common chronic diseases that often coexist. There is a need for a validated tool to evaluate HRQoL of Portuguese speakers with asthma and/or rhinitis patients in clinical practice. Objectives To adapt and validate RhinAsthma Patient Perspective (RAPP) in Portuguese. Methods The RAPP questionnaire was translated into Portuguese. Asthmatics with comorbidities and rhinitis attending the allergy department of Coimbra University Hospital were asked to complete the Portuguese translation of RAPP, in addition to the SF-12, ACT, and a Symptomatologic VAS twice, with a 4-week interval between visits. During Visit 2, a Global Rating Scale (GRS) was completed to assess any change in health status. Scale dimensions, internal consistency and convergent validity, reliability, discriminant ability and responsiveness to change, as well as Minimal Clinical Difference were assessed. Results Factor and confirmatory analysis confirm the unidimensional structure of the questionnaire. Internal consistency has been shown to be satisfactory (0.82 visit 1 and 0.86 at visit 2). The tool is able to discriminate between patients on the basis of asthma severity, asthma control level, and rhinitis severity; convergent validity showed a significant correlation with SF-2 Physical component (r = −0.46 and 0.42, p at Visits 1 and 2). An ICC of 0.97 and a CCC = 0.94 indicate that the tool is highly reliable. Responsiveness was shown in detecting a significant association with GRS changes (r = 0.41, p Conclusions The Portuguese version of RAPP has been demonstrated to have good measurement properties and sensitivity to health changes, which will provide a valid, reliable and standardized HRQoL measurement in patients with asthma and comorbid allergic rhinitis in clinical practice.

Co-medication is common among patients with allergic rhinitis (AR), but its dimension and patterns are unknown. This is particularly relevant since AR is understood differently across European countries, as reflected by rhinitis-related search patterns in Google Trends. This study aims to assess AR co-medication and its regional patterns in Europe, using real-world data.We analysed 2015-2020 MASK-airWe analysed 222,024 days (13,122 users), including 63,887 days (28.8%) under monotherapy and 38,315 (17.3%) under co-medication. The median 'VAS Global Symptoms' was 7 for no medication days, 14 for monotherapy and 21 for co-medication (p .001). Medication use peaked during the spring, with similar patterns across different European regions (defined geographically or by Google Trends). Oral HAllergic rhinitis medication patterns are similar across European regions. One third of treatment days involved co-medication. These findings suggest that patients treat themselves according to their symptoms (irrespective of how they understand AR) and that co-medication use is driven by symptom severity.

Data de publicació electrònica: 03-11-2022 Introduction: Data from mHealth apps can provide valuable information on rhinitis control and treatment patterns. However, in MASK-air®, these data have only been analyzed cross-sectionally, without considering the changes of symptoms over time. We analyzed data from MASK-air® longitudinally, clustering weeks according to reported rhinitis symptoms. Methods: We analyzed MASK-air® data, assessing the weeks for which patients had answered a rhinitis daily questionnaire on all 7 days. We firstly used k-means clustering algorithms for longitudinal data to define clusters of weeks according to the trajectories of reported daily rhinitis symptoms. Clustering was applied separately for weeks when medication was reported or not. We compared obtained clusters on symptoms and rhinitis medication patterns. We then used the latent class mixture model to assess the robustness of results. Results: We analyzed 113,239 days (16,177 complete weeks) from 2590 patients (mean age ± SD = 39.1 ± 13.7 years). The first clustering algorithm identified ten clusters among weeks with medication use: seven with low variability in rhinitis control during the week and three with highly-variable control. Clusters with poorly-controlled rhinitis displayed a higher frequency of rhinitis co-medication, a more frequent change of medication schemes and more pronounced seasonal patterns. Six clusters were identified in weeks when no rhinitis medication was used, displaying similar control patterns. The second clustering method provided similar results. Moreover, patients displayed consistent levels of rhinitis control, reporting several weeks with similar levels of control. Conclusions: We identified 16 patterns of weekly rhinitis control. Co-medication and medication change schemes were common in uncontrolled weeks, reinforcing the hypothesis that patients treat themselves according to their symptoms.

Background\ud \ud Food anaphylaxis is commonly elicited by unintentional ingestion of foods containing the allergen above the tolerance threshold level of the individual. While labeling the 14 main allergens used as ingredients in food products is mandatory in the EU, there is no legal definition of declaring potential contaminants. Precautionary allergen labeling such as “may contain traces of” is often used. However, this is unsatisfactory for consumers as they get no information if the contamination is below their personal threshold. In discussions with the food industry and technologists, it was suggested to use a voluntary declaration indicating that all declared contaminants are below a threshold of 0.5 mg protein per 100 g of food. This concentration is known to be below the threshold of most patients, and it can be technically guaranteed in most food production. However, it was also important to assess that in case of accidental ingestion of contaminants below this threshold by highly allergic patients, no fatal anaphylactic reaction could occur. Therefore, we performed a systematic review to assess whether a fatal reaction to 5mg of protein or less has been reported, assuming that a maximum portion size of 1kg of a processed food exceeds any meal and thus gives a sufficient safety margin.\ud \ud \ud \ud Methods\ud \ud MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched until 24 January 2021 for provocation studies and case reports in which one of the 14 major food allergens was reported to elicit fatal or life-threatening anaphylactic reactions and assessed if these occurred below the ingestion of 5mg of protein. A Delphi process was performed to obtain an expert consensus on the results.\ud \ud \ud \ud Results\ud \ud In the 210 studies included, in our search, no reports of fatal anaphylactic reactions reported below 5 mg protein ingested were identified. However, in provocation studies and case reports, severe reactions below 5 mg were reported for the following allergens: eggs, fish, lupin, milk, nuts, peanuts, soy, and sesame seeds.\ud \ud \ud \ud Conclusion\ud \ud Based on the literature studied for this review, it can be stated that cross-contamination of the 14 major food allergens below 0.5 mg/100 g is likely not to endanger most food allergic patients when a standard portion of food is consumed. We propose to use the statement “this product contains the named allergens in the list of ingredients, it may contain traces of other contaminations (to be named, e.g. nut) at concentrations less than 0.5 mg per 100 g of this product” for a voluntary declaration on processed food packages. This level of avoidance of cross-contaminations can be achieved technically for most processed foods, and the statement would be a clear and helpful message to the consumers. However, it is clearly acknowledged that a voluntary declaration is only a first step to a legally binding solution. For this, further research on threshold levels is encouraged.

Fundamentos: A mastocitose é um grupo de doenças raras caracterizada pela expansão e acumulação excessiva de mastócitos clonais, de que resulta o envolvimento cutâneo e/ou sistémico. Nas idades pediátricas, a forma mais comum de mastocitose é a mastocitose cutânea. Objetivos: O presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar as características demográficas e os achados clínicos em crianças com diagnóstico de mastocitose. Métodos: Foram revistos os processos clínicos, desde janeiro de 2014 a junho de 2019, de todos os doentes com diagnóstico de mastocitose no Hospital Pediátrico de Coimbra. Resultados: Os 14 doentes foram diagnosticados com mastocitose cutânea. A idade média de início das lesões foi de 15,1 meses, sendo a mediana de 5 meses. A idade média de diagnóstico foi de 22,5 meses e a mediana de 9,5 meses. Dos 14 doentes, 8 eram do sexo masculino. 12 doentes tinham mastocitose cutânea maculopapular e 2 tinham mastocitoma cutâneo. No que diz respeito à subclassificação das variantes da MC maculopapular, 11 foram classificadas como polimórficas e 1 como monomórfica. O sinal de Darier foi positivo em 12 doentes, 10 tinham prurido, 2 apresentavam dor abdominal e 3 diarreia. Não foi constatado nenhum episódio de anafilaxia. Em todos os doentes foi realizado um estudo analítico inicial, a destacar o doseamento da triptase sérica, que variou entre 1,3 -15,9 ng/mL na primeira avaliação. Em 8 doentes, o diagnóstico foi confirmado através de biópsia cutânea. A terapêutica baseou -se na evicção dos fatores desencadeantes, em anti -histamínicos H1 e corticosteroide tópico de potência moderada a forte. O curso das lesões permanece estável em 12 doentes. Conclusões: O presente trabalho corrobora o que está descrito na literatura corrente sobre o tema. Realça a importância do conhecimento das características da doença em idade pediátrica para a prevenção de fatores desencadeantes, diagnóstico, investigação e tratamento dirigidos.

Background Poor medication adherence is a major challenge in asthma, and objective assessment of inhaler adherence is needed. The InspirerMundi app aims to monitor adherence while providing a positive experience through gamification and social support. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the InspirerMundi app to monitor medication adherence in adolescents and adults with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication). Methods A 1-month mixed method multicenter observational study was conducted in 26 secondary care centers from Portugal and Spain. During an initial face-to-face visit, physicians reported patients’ asthma therapeutic plan in a structured questionnaire. During the visits, patients were invited to use the app daily to register their asthma medication intakes. A scheduled intake was considered taken when patients registered the intake (inhaler, blister, or other drug formulation) by using the image-based medication detection tool. At 1 month, patients were interviewed by phone, and app satisfaction was assessed on a 1 (low) to 5 (high) scale. Patients were also asked to point out the most and least preferred app features and make suggestions for future app improvements. Results A total of 107 patients (median 27 [P25-P75 14-40] years) were invited, 92.5% (99/107) installed the app, and 73.8% (79/107) completed the 1-month interview. Patients interacted with the app a median of 9 (P25-P75 1-24) days. At least one medication was registered in the app by 78% (77/99) of patients. A total of 53% (52/99) of participants registered all prescribed inhalers, and 34% (34/99) registered the complete asthma therapeutic plan. Median medication adherence was 75% (P25-P75 25%-90%) for inhalers and 82% (P25-P75 50%-94%) for other drug formulations. Patients were globally satisfied with the app, with 75% (59/79) scoring ≥4,; adherence monitoring, symptom monitoring, and gamification features being the most highly scored components; and the medication detection tool among the lowest scored. A total of 53% (42/79) of the patients stated that the app had motivated them to improve adherence to inhaled medication and 77% (61/79) would recommend the app to other patients. Patient feedback was reflected in 4 major themes: medication-related features (67/79, 85%), gamification and social network (33/79, 42%), symptom monitoring and physician communication (21/79, 27%), and other aspects (16/79, 20%). Conclusions The InspirerMundi app was feasible and acceptable to monitor medication adherence in patients with asthma. Based on patient feedback and to increase the registering of medications, the therapeutic plan registration and medication detection tool were redesigned. Our results highlight the importance of patient participation to produce a patient-centered and engaging mHealth asthma app.

We aimed to identify persistent asthma phenotypes among adolescents and to evaluate longitudinally asthma-related outcomes across phenotypes. Adolescents (13&ndash, 17 years) from the prospective, observational, and multicenter INSPIRERS studies, conducted in Portugal and Spain, were included (n = 162). Latent class analysis was applied to demographic, environmental, and clinical variables, collected at a baseline medical visit. Longitudinal differences in clinical variables were assessed at a 4-month follow-up telephone contact (n = 128). Three classes/phenotypes of persistent asthma were identified. Adolescents in class 1 (n = 87) were highly symptomatic at baseline and presented the highest number of unscheduled healthcare visits per month and exacerbations per month, both at baseline and follow-up. Class 2 (n = 32) was characterized by female predominance, more frequent obesity, and uncontrolled upper/lower airways symptoms at baseline. At follow-up, there was a significant increase in the proportion of controlled lower airway symptoms (p &lt, 0.001). Class 3 (n = 43) included mostly males with controlled lower airways symptoms, at follow-up, while keeping symptom control, there was a significant increase in exacerbations/month (p = 0.015). We have identified distinct phenotypes of persistent asthma in adolescents with different patterns in longitudinal asthma-related outcomes, supporting the importance of profiling asthma phenotypes in predicting disease outcomes that might inform targeted interventions and reduce future risk.

BACKGROUND Poor medication adherence is a major challenge in asthma, and objective assessment of inhaler adherence is needed. The InspirerMundi app aims to monitor adherence while providing a positive experience through gamification and social support. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the InspirerMundi app to monitor medication adherence in adolescents and adults with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication). METHODS A 1-month mixed method multicenter observational study was conducted in 26 secondary care centers from Portugal and Spain. During an initial face-to-face visit, physicians reported patients’ asthma therapeutic plan in a structured questionnaire. During the visits, patients were invited to use the app daily to register their asthma medication intakes. A scheduled intake was considered taken when patients registered the intake (inhaler, blister, or other drug formulation) by using the image-based medication detection tool. At 1 month, patients were interviewed by phone, and app satisfaction was assessed on a 1 (low) to 5 (high) scale. Patients were also asked to point out the most and least preferred app features and make suggestions for future app improvements. RESULTS A total of 107 patients (median 27 [P25-P75 14-40] years) were invited, 92.5% (99/107) installed the app, and 73.8% (79/107) completed the 1-month interview. Patients interacted with the app a median of 9 (P25-P75 1-24) days. At least one medication was registered in the app by 78% (77/99) of patients. A total of 53% (52/99) of participants registered all prescribed inhalers, and 34% (34/99) registered the complete asthma therapeutic plan. Median medication adherence was 75% (P25-P75 25%-90%) for inhalers and 82% (P25-P75 50%-94%) for other drug formulations. Patients were globally satisfied with the app, with 75% (59/79) scoring ≥4,; adherence monitoring, symptom monitoring, and gamification features being the most highly scored components; and the medication detection tool among the lowest scored. A total of 53% (42/79) of the patients stated that the app had motivated them to improve adherence to inhaled medication and 77% (61/79) would recommend the app to other patients. Patient feedback was reflected in 4 major themes: medication-related features (67/79, 85%), gamification and social network (33/79, 42%), symptom monitoring and physician communication (21/79, 27%), and other aspects (16/79, 20%). CONCLUSIONS The InspirerMundi app was feasible and acceptable to monitor medication adherence in patients with asthma. Based on patient feedback and to increase the registering of medications, the therapeutic plan registration and medication detection tool were redesigned. Our results highlight the importance of patient participation to produce a patient-centered and engaging mHealth asthma app.

Background The analysis of mobile health (mHealth) data has generated innovative insights into improving allergic rhinitis control, but additive information is needed. A cross-sectional real-world observational study was undertaken in 17 European countries during and outside the estimated pollen season. The aim was to collect novel information including the phenotypic characteristics of the users. Methods The Allergy Diary–MASK-air–mobile phone app, freely available via Google Play and App, was used to collect the data of daily visual analogue scales (VASs) for overall allergic symptoms and medication use. Fluticasone Furoate (FF), Mometasone Furoate (MF), Azelastine Fluticasone Proprionate combination (MPAzeFlu) and eight oral H1-antihistamines were studied. Phenotypic characteristics were recorded at entry. The ARIA severity score was derived from entry data. This was an a priori planned analysis. Results 9037 users filled in 70,286 days of VAS in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The ARIA severity score was lower outside than during the pollen season. Severity was similar for all treatment groups during the pollen season, and lower in the MPAzeFlu group outside the pollen season. Days with MPAzeFlu had lower VAS levels and a higher frequency of monotherapy than the other treatments during the season. Outside the season, days with MPAzeFlu also had a higher frequency of monotherapy. The number of reported days was significantly higher with MPAzeFlu during and outside the season than with MF, FF or oral H1-antihistamines. Conclusions This study shows that the overall efficacy of treatments is similar during and outside the pollen season and indicates that medications are similarly effective during the year.

A mastocitose é uma doença rara com elevado risco para reações anafiláticas graves. Descrição do caso: Mulher que, aos 27 anos, desenvolveu choque anafilático durante um parto por cesariana. No perioperatório foram administrados lidocaína, ropivacaína, ocitocina, cefazolina e fentanilo. Os testes cutâneos foram positivos apenas à ocitocina (leitura imediata). Um ano mais tarde surgiram lesões cutâneas maculopapulares, vermelho -acastanhadas, pruriginosas, no tronco e membros inferiores, com sinal de Darier. A biópsia cutânea foi sugestiva de mastocitose. Em cesariana subsequente, ocorreu novo episódio de anafilaxia com paragem cardiorrespiratória e convulsões tónico -clónicas generalizadas. A presença de 3 critérios minor (OMS 2016) permitiu o diagnóstico de mastocitose sistémica: (1) triptase basal 40,1 mg/L; (2) mastócitos com morfologia atípica na medula óssea; e (3) expressão aberrante de CD25 nos mastócitos. Conclusão: O diagnóstico de mastocitose exige frequentemente um alto índice de suspeição clínica, nomeadamente em casos de anafilaxia no perioperatório.

This work was funded by ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) through the operations: POCI- -01-0145-FEDER-029130 (“mINSPIRERS—mHealth to measure and improve adherence to medication in chronic obstructive respiratory diseases - generalisation and evaluation of gamification, peer support and advanced image processing technologies”) co-funded by the COMPETE2020 (Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização), Portugal 2020 and by Portuguese Funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia). © 2020, Sociedade Portuguesa de Alergologia e Imunologia Clinica. All rights reserved. Aims: To identify distinct asthma control clusters based on Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) and to compare patients’ characteristics among these clusters. Methods: Adults and adolescents (≥13 years) with persistent asthma were recruited at 29 Portuguese hospital outpatient clinics, in the context of two observational studies of the INSPIRERS project. Demographic and clinical characteristics, adherence to inhaled medication, beliefs about inhaled medication, anxiety and depression, quality of life, and asthma control (CARAT, >24 good control) were collected. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed using CARAT total score (CARAT-T). Results: 410 patients (68% adults), with a median (percentile 25–percentile 75) age of 28 (16-46) years, were analysed. Three clusters were identified [mean CARAT-T (min-max)]: cluster 1 [27(24-30)], cluster 2 [19(14-23)] and cluster 3 [10(2-13)]. Patients in cluster 1 (34%) were characterised by better asthma control, better quality of life, higher inhaler adherence and use of a single inhaler. Patients in clusters 2 (50%) and 3 (16%) had uncontrolled asthma, lower inhaler adherence, more symptoms of anxiety and depression and more than half had at least one exacerbation in the previous year. Further-more, patients in cluster 3 were predominantly female, had more unscheduled medical visits and more anxiety symp-toms, perceived a higher necessity of their prescribed inhalers but also higher levels of concern about taking these inhalers. There were no differences in age, body mass index, lung function, smoking status, hospital admissions or specialist physician follow-up time among the three clusters. Conclusion: An unsupervised method based on CARAT--T, identified 3 clusters of patients with distinct, clinically meaningful characteristics. The cluster with better asthma control had a cut-off similar to the established in the validation study of CARAT and an additional cut-off seems to distinguish more severe disease. Further research is necessary to validate the asthma control clusters identified. publishersversion published

Unsupervised methods may unveil the potential of the INSPIRERS studies to comprehend the heterogeneous characteristics of asthma. Therefore, we aimed to identify distinct classes of asthma among the participants, using latent class analysis (LCA), and to compare their characteristics across classes. We applied LCA to 308 adults (≥18 years) with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication) participants in the observational and prospective INSPIRERS studies, conducted in 26 secondary care outpatient clinics from Portugal and Spain. The classifying variables included asthma-related demographics, unscheduled healthcare use, Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT), and EuroQol 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaires. A three-class model was identified. Class 1 (21%) and Class 2 (26%) were characterized by highly symptomatic and uncontrolled asthma, with concomitant upper airways symptoms and reporting problems across all EQ-5D dimensions; they differed on high unscheduled healthcare use (Class 1) and early asthma onset (Class 2). Class 3 (53%): early asthma onset, controlled asthma with upper airways symptoms and without problems in EQ-5D dimensions. Compared to other classes, Class 1 had a higher proportion of subjects with FEV1 Three distinct and clinically meaningful unsupervised classes of asthma were identified among participants of the INSPIRERS studies, revealing the studies’ potential to support and enable patient-centered care and further research.

We assessed the feasibility of the InspirerMundi app to monitor medication adherence in adolescents and adults with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication). A 1-month multicentre observational study was conducted in 26 hospital outpatient clinics from Portugal and Spain. During medical visits (T0), 107 patients were invited to use the app daily to register their asthma medication intakes. A scheduled intake was considered taken when patients presented the medication (inhaler, blister or other recipients) to an app image detection tool. Physicians reported patients’ asthma therapeutic plan at T0. At 1-month, patients were interviewed by phone and app satisfaction was assessed on a 1(low)-5(high) scale. A total of 99 patients (29±13 years) installed the app (93%) and 79 (74%) completed the 1-month interview. At least one medication was registered in the app by 77 patients (72%): 73 ≥1 inhaler and 42 at least another medication, e.g., pills, nasal spray. Almost 90% of patients registered in the app at least 50% of medications of the therapeutic plan, with 71% registering all prescribed inhalers and 52% all other prescribed medication. Median medication adherence was 75[25-90]% for inhalers and 82[50-94]% for other types. Most patients were satisfied with the features of medication adherence monitoring (70% scored ≥4), but less with the inhaler detection tool (53% ≥4). Half of the patients (53%) stated that the app had motivated them to better adhere to inhaled medication. InspirerMundi app was feasible to monitor medication adherence in patients with asthma. These results led to the redesign of the therapeutic plan registration and of the inhaler detection tool.

InspirerMundi app aims to transform adherence into a positive experience through gamification and social support, while allowing objective monitoring of inhaler adherence. We explored patients’ engagement with this app. Adolescents and adults with persistent asthma, followed in 24 Portuguese hospital outpatient clinics, were invited by their physicians to use the InspirerMundi app daily for 4 months and register medication and symptoms. To stimulate engagement, the app includes a gamification component (point and badge system with a storyline of a warrior evolving to an Inspirer-advanced player that can motivate warriors to improve adherence). During the study period, patients received 3 phone interviews for additional data collection and 6 text messages to promote app engagement. Usage rate (days with app uses/total days) during weeks that followed a contact (phone/message) were compared to weeks with no contacts. A total of 77 patients (27±13y) were recruited and 72 used the app a median[P25-P75] of 48[24-114] days (usage rate 60[32-83]%).Total use period was >30 days for 2/3 of patients and >90 days for 1/3. Sixty-four patients registered ≥1 medication; 66 patients answered a median of 14[4-35] symptom questionnaires; 63 received ≥1 badge; and 9 achieved Inspirers level. Text messages did not seem to influence usage rate (p=.386), while phone calls seemed to have a negative effect (p=.003). 16 (22%) users continued to use the app after the end of the study. The usage rate of InspirerMundi app was higher than usage reported for other health apps. These results might be related to the app engagement features and to the recommendation of use by a physician. Additional contacts do not seem to improve app usage rate.

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Background Chronic urticaria (CU) is defined as recurrent urticaria lasting for more than 6 weeks. Objectives We aimed to characterize the phenotypes of patients with CU refractory to standard dose anti-H1 antihistamine treatment and search for clinical predictors of poor disease control. Methods Retrospective collection of data regarding clinical characteristics, comorbidities, treatment, and disease control of all adult refractory CU patients presenting to the Allergy and Immunology Department during 1 year. Results Sixty-one adult patients were included, 74% females, average age 44.5 years (18 to 84 years old). Most patients (78.7%) had initiated CU less than 1 year before enrolment. Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) accounted for 55.7% of the patients, CSU associated with chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU) as a comorbidity for 44.3%, and angioedema was present in 55.7%. Medically-confirmed psychiatric disorders were present in 78.7%. Complementary diagnostic tests were performed in cases with more severe presentation (UAS7 ≥ 28 and/or UCT 1 year), corresponding to 42 tested patient. Evidence for autoimmunity (positive anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies, anti-nuclear antibodies or autologous serum test) was found in 45.2% (n = 19/42), and high C-reactive protein was present in 14.3% (n = 6/42), half of these also had positive antinuclear antibodies. Forty-six patients (75.4%) had at least one significant exacerbation, requiring medical appointment, emergency room, hospitalization or job absenteeism. The number of exacerbations correlated with the presence of angioedema (p = 0.022), with a recent diagnosis ( Conclusions Autoimmunity can affect about half of the patients with severe or long-term CU. UAS7 and angioedema are associated with disease exacerbations. UAS7 and UCT presented unequal accuracy, with UAS7 better associating with the occurrence of exacerbations and treatment doses. Patients with refractory CU frequently present psychiatric disorders. Accurate diagnostic tests, namely autoimmune parameters and inflammatory markers, should be recommended in some individual cases.

Allergic diseases are a major health concern worldwide. Pollens are important triggers for allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis and asthma. Proteases released upon pollen grain hydration appear to play a major role in the typical immunological and inflammatory responses that occur in patients with allergic disorders. In this study, we aimed to identify specific proteolytic activity in a set of pollens with diverse allergenic potential. Diffusates from Chenopodium album, Plantago lanceolata and Eucalyptus globulus were added to a confluent monolayer of Calu-3 cells grown in an air-liquid interface system. We identified serine proteases and metalloproteinases in all pollen diffusates investigated. Proteases found in these pollen diffusates were shown to compromise the integrity of the lung epithelial barrier by disrupting transmembrane adhesion proteins E-cadherin, claudin-1 and Occludin, as well as, the cytosolic complex zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) resulting in a time-dependent increase in transepithelial permeability. Tight junction disruption and increased transepithelial permeability facilitates allergen exposure to epithelial sub-layers contributing to the sensitization to a wide range of allergens. These pollen extracts also induced an increase in the release of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 8 (IL-8) cytokines measured by flow cytometry possibly as a result of the activation of protease-activated receptors 2 (PAR-2).

Copyright © 2018 Ana Sá-Sousa et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited., The Portuguese Severe Asthma Registry (Registo de Asma Grave Portugal, RAG) was developed by an open collaborative network of asthma specialists. RAG collects data from adults and pediatric severe asthma patients that despite treatment optimization and adequate management of comorbidities require step 4/5 treatment according to GINA recommendations. In this paper, we describe the development and implementation of RAG, its features, and data sharing policies. The contents and structure of RAG were defined in a multistep consensus process. A pilot version was pretested and iteratively improved. The selection of data elements for RAG considered other severe asthma registries, aiming at characterizing the patient's clinical status whilst avoiding overloading the standard workflow of the clinical appointment. Features of RAG include automatic assessment of eligibility, easy data input, and exportable data in natural language that can be pasted directly in patients' electronic health record and security features to enable data sharing (among researchers and with other international databases) without compromising patients' confidentiality. RAG is a national web-based disease registry of severe asthma patients, available at asmagrave.pt. It allows prospective clinical data collection, promotes standardized care and collaborative clinical research, and may contribute to inform evidence-based healthcare policies for severe asthma., RAG was financed by an unrestricted grant from Novartis Farma-Produtos Farmacêuticos, S.A., which had no participation in any part of the development and implementation of the registry and has no access to the stored data for any purpose. The first author is financed by a PhD Grant (PD/BD/113665/2015) and financed by the European Social Fund and national funds of MCTES (Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P) PhD Programme Ref. PD/0003/2013-Doctoral Programme in Clinical and Health Services Research (PDICSS). Te publication of this article was supported by ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) through the operation POCI-01-0145- FEDER-007746 funded by the Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização – COMPETE2020 and by National Funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia within CINTESIS, R&D Unit (reference UID/IC/4255/2013).

Background Chronic urticaria is defined as the appearance of urticarial lesions and/or angioedema during a period of more than six weeks. We aimed at developing the Portuguese version of the Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life Questionnaire (CU-Q2oL) and at testing its reliability and the content, construct and criterion validity. Methods The forward-backward approach to a linguistic equivalence was followed, after which a clinical review and a cognitive debriefing with patients were performed. The intraclass correlation coefficient checked test-retest reliability with patients filling the same questionnaire with one week apart and the Cronbach’s alpha indicator assessed the internal consistency. Construct validity was tested by an exploratory factor analysis and by hypothesis tests involving sociodemographic and clinical patient characteristics, including the urticaria control test (UCT). On the other hand, criterion validity was tested through correlations with the Short-Form Health Survey SF-36, EQ-5D-5 L, and the Dermatology Quality of Life Index (DLQI). Results A total of 162 patients from seven hospital units were included. The mean (standard deviation) age was 42.6 (13.3) and 81.6% were female. CU-Q2oL was entirely filled by all respondents. Internal consistency was 0.947 for the overall score, ranging from 0.661 (limits) to 0.899 (sleep problems) and the corresponding reproducibility indicator was 0.910, based on 23 patients and ranging from 0.711 (swelling) and 0.957 (looks). Exploratory factor analysis in general confirmed the original structure originally obtained by the authors. All CU-Q2oL dimensions were highly correlated with DLQI Index and differentiated well between males and females, and between different levels of wheals and pruritus. In addition, moderate negative correlations were found between Cu-Q2oL scores and the dimensions from SF-36 and EQ-5D-5 L. Conclusions The satisfactory metric properties confirmed the cultural adaptation and validity of CU-Q2oL into Portuguese population, providing the clinicians with a valid tool to evaluate the impact of chronic urticaria on patient’s QoL and therefore adjust their treatment. Trial registration number Not applicable.

The overarching goals of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) are to enable European citizens to lead healthy, active and independent lives whilst ageing. The EIP on AHA includes 74 Reference Sites. The aim of this study was to transfer innovation from an app developed by the MACVIA-France EIP on AHA reference site (Allergy Diary) to other reference sites. The phenotypic characteristics of rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity in adults and the elderly will be compared using validated information and communication technology (ICT) tools (i.e. the Allergy Diary and CARAT: Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test) in 22 Reference Sites or regions across Europe. This will improve the understanding, assessment of burden, diagnosis and management of rhinitis in the elderly by comparison with an adult population. Specific objectives will be: (i) to assess the percentage of adults and elderly who are able to use the Allergy Diary, (ii) to study the phenotypic characteristics and treatment over a 1-year period of rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity at baseline (cross-sectional study) and (iii) to follow-up using visual analogue scale (VAS). This part of the study may provide some insight into the differences between the elderly and adults in terms of response to treatment and practice. Finally (iv) work productivity will be examined in adults.

Objective: We aimed to compare patient's and physician's ratings of inhaled medication adherence and to identify predictors of patient-physician discordance. Design: Baseline data from two prospective multicentre observational studies. Setting: 29 allergy, pulmonology and paediatric secondary care outpatient clinics in Portugal. Participants: 395 patients (≥13 years old) with persistent asthma. Measures: Data on demographics, patient-physician relationship, upper airway control, asthma control, asthma treatment, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and healthcare use were collected. Patients and physicians independently assessed adherence to inhaled controller medication during the previous week using a 100 mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Discordance was defined as classification in distinct VAS categories (low 0-50; medium 51-80; high 81-100) or as an absolute difference in VAS scores ≥10 mm. Correlation between patients' and physicians' VAS scores/categories was explored. A multinomial logistic regression identified the predictors of physician overestimation and underestimation. Results: High inhaler adherence was reported both by patients (median (percentile 25 to percentile 75) 85 (65-95) mm; 53% VAS>80) and by physicians (84 (68-95) mm; 53% VAS>80). Correlation between patient and physician VAS scores was moderate (rs=0.580; p

The paper version of CARAT (pCARAT) is valid to assess asthma control over a 4-week period. For follow-up purposes, assessment through mobile apps (aCARAT) or telephone (tCARAT) may be useful alternatives. We explored the psychometric properties of the aCARAT and tCARAT. Patients with asthma were recruited at secondary care outpatient clinics. During medical visits, patients filled in the pCARAT and were invited to complete the aCARAT in the following days using the app of project Inspirers (InspirerMundi). After 1 week, tCARAT was collected. Patients completing the 3 CARAT versions within 28 days were analysed. CARAT scores (0-worst, 30-best) were calculated. The internal consistency (Cronbach’s α), convergent validity (Spearman correlation-rs) and reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient-ICC, Bland-Altman analysis) were determined. 55 patients (21 male; median 19 [interquartile range 17-37]y) were included. The aCARAT was completed by 82% of patients within 1 week of pCARAT; and by 78% within 1 week of tCARAT. The median pCARAT score was 21[17-24], the aCARAT 21[18-26], and the tCARAT 23[21-26]. Internal consistency was good for all versions (α=.73-.77). pCARAT was more strongly correlated with aCARAT than with tCARAT. Reliability was better for aCARAT than for tCARAT (table 1). App and telephonic CARAT versions are valid and reliable, exhibiting comparable psychometric properties to the paper version. These new CARAT versions are promising alternatives for assessing control in patients with asthma.

Pharmacists are trusted health care professionals. Many patients use over-the-counter (OTC) medications and are seen by pharmacists who are the initial point of contact for allergic rhinitis management in most countries. The role of pharmacists in integrated care pathways (ICPs) for allergic diseases is important. This paper builds on existing studies and provides tools intended to help pharmacists provide optimal advice/interventions/strategies to patients with rhinitis. The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA)-pharmacy ICP includes a diagnostic questionnaire specifically focusing attention on key symptoms and markers of the disease, a systematic Diagnosis Guide (including differential diagnoses), and a simple flowchart with proposed treatment for rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity. Key prompts for referral within the ICP are included. The use of technology is critical to enhance the management of allergic rhinitis. However, the ARIA-pharmacy ICP should be adapted to local healthcare environments/situations as regional (national) differences exist in pharmacy care. ispartof: ALLERGY vol:74 issue:7 pages:1219-1236 ispartof: location:Denmark status: published

Summary Background. Anaphylaxis is a potentially fatal medical emergency. The frequency of hospital admissions for anaphylaxis seems to be increasing in the recent decades. Objective. Characterize the patients admitted for anaphylaxis to the adult emergency department (ED) of a tertiary care hospital over a 10-year period, discriminating aetiologies, clinical features and therapy administered. Methods. Retrospective, descriptive and inferential study, evaluating age, sex, Manchester triage system, suspected allergen, site of allergen exposure, comorbidities, cofactors, clinical findings and symptoms, treatment and management. Patients admitted between January 2007 and December 2016 were included. Results. Forty-three patients were enrolled: 23 males, mean age 54.3 ± 16.2 years, n = 22 had history of allergic disease. Two patients were triaged as non-urgent. The most frequently suspected causes of anaphylaxis were: drugs (33%, n = 14), Hymenoptera venoms (23%, n = 10), foods (21%, n = 9) and iodinated contrast products (12%, n = 5). Adrenaline was used in 88% of the episodes (n = 38), 55% of which (n = 21) intramuscularly. Mortality was registered in one case. At discharge, adrenaline auto-injector was prescribed in 7% (n = 3) of the patients, and Allergy and Clinical Immunology consultation (ACIC) was requested in 65% of the episodes (n = 28). Statistically significant associations (p minor 0.05) were established: a, anaphylaxis to drugs associated with a low intramuscular adrenaline use and with frequent oxygen therapy; b, anaphylaxis to food associated with intramuscular adrenaline administration; c, anaphylaxis to Hymenoptera venom associated with male sex; and d, anaphylaxis to iodinated contrasts associated with referral to ACIC and with shock. All obese patients developed shock. Conclusions. Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening condition that requires early recognition. Although most patients received adrenaline, administration was not always performed by the recommended route and only a few patients were prescribed adrenaline auto-injector.