Perfil de consulta y puntos críticos en la atención del paciente alérgico en el IMSS por médicos especialistas no alergólogos.

Background: Allergic diseases represent a serious public health problem all over the world, and they use to be associated with environmental factors as well as with each patient genetic predisposition. Objective: To characterize consult profile and critical points of allergic patients attention attended by non-allergologists specialists but referred by allergologists. Material and method: Descriptive study since October 2004 until February 2005, with a questionnaire to 255 patients attended by non-allergologists specialists in an IMSS hospital. Skin hypersensibility Prick-tests with standardized commercial extracts were practiced (1:20 p/v). Results: Gender distribution was 41.96% male and 58.04% female, most of them (88.6%) from urban places (the reminder from rural ones); 55.37% with family history of allergy. In 49.02% the disease disturbs family behavior. Annual attention cost to allergic patients was 2,896.74 mexican pesos. Only 35.7% of patients get the disease control. Both work and home control of allergy exacerbation risk factors were poor. Conclusions: Critical points affecting allergic patients' treatment are attention to risk factors and to those factors exacerbating the disease (environmental and drug scheme choice). Non-allergologists specialists must consider a better control of allergic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]