Parental Perspectives on the Implementation of House Dust Mite Avoidance Measures for Children with House Dust Mite Sensitization

ABSTRACTObjective: The avoidance of house dust mite (HDM) is crucial in the management of HDM allergies. We aimed to demonstrate the implementation and perspective of the parents whose children had HDM allergy/sensitization to HDM avoidance measures. Materials and Methods: Parents of the patients with HDM sensitization were interviewed via telephone questionnaires.Results: One hundred and three patients with asthma (73.8%), allergic rhinitis (AR) (77.7%) and/or atopic dermatitis (AD) (29.1%) aged four to 18 years were included in the study. Seventy-one patients had multiple allergic diseases (68.9%). Of the parents, 39.8% fully adhered to HDM avoidance measures, and their education status was as follows: 41.5% illiterate/elementary/middle school, 31.7% high school, and 26.8% associate’s degree/university. In addition, 32.2% of the mothers who were partially adherent (n=62) were illiterate or had graduated from elementary/middle school, 33.9% had graduated from high school, and 33.9% had an associate’s degree or had graduated from university. Forty-one (39.8%) mothers were working, and most of them (61%) had graduated from university or had an associate’s degree. Nearly half of the mothers who were partially adherent to HDM measures were working (n=32). In the multivariate analysis, the risk factors for partial adherence to measures was to be a working mother [OR:4.072, 95%CI: 1.350-12.882, p=0.013] and to have the belief that the measures were useless [OR:4.886, 95%CI: 1.499-15.923, p=0.008]. However, no relationship was shown between adherence to the measures and the severity of AR or AD, asthma control status and having multiple allergic diseases.Conclusion: Full adherence to HDM avoidance measures was considerably dependent on the mothers’ working status and belief in the ineffectiveness of the measures whereas there was no relationship to the severity of allergic diseases. This study also revealed how the education status of the mothers affected the adherence to allergen avoidance measures in real life.Keywords: Children, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus,Dermatophagoides farinae, house dust mites, avoidance measures, parents, pediatrics, questionnaire

Evaluation of Knowledge About Anaphylaxis in Dentistry and Medical Faculty Students; Need for More Training

Objective: Anaphylaxis is a serious reaction that needs rapid intervention. However, some healthcare professionals may have inadequate knowledge about anaphylaxis to manage this situation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge about anaphylaxis in dentistry students (DS) in comparison with medical school ones (MS). Materials and Methods: Students were recruited from the Dentistry (n=81) and Medical (n=144) Faculties of the University Hospital. The level of knowledge about anaphylaxis was evaluated by using a questionnaire with 26 items that was used previously. Results: The overall response rate was 89.9%. One tenth of the study group had ever encountered a case with anaphylaxis, but 2.8% of them stated that they had involved in the treatment by themselves. Almost all of the participants stated that allergy might be a life-threatening reaction. Additionally, 43.3% reported that they had epinephrine in their department. DS knew less than MS about the primary use of epinephrine after assessing the airway, breathing and circulation in the treatment of anaphylaxis, and even in suspicious cases (59.3% vs. 98.6%, and 42% vs. 94.4%, all p<0.001). DS had significantly less knowledge about anaphylaxis treatment and epinephrine application than medical ones (all p <0.001). Furthermore, the information of that “the minimum duration for re-administration of epinephrine as 10 minutes” was known by the half of MS, and one fourth of DS (p<0.001). The appropriate follow-up duration of patients with anaphylaxis was unknown in half of DS, and one fifth of MS (p<0.001). Even though MS had a higher rate of knowledge about the responsible and closest department dealing with anaphylaxis than dental students (p=0.02), DS were more aware of referring the patient with anaphylaxis to an allergy clinic (77.8% vs. 62.9%, p<0.001). Almost all MS had heard about the epinephrine auto-injector, in contrast to one third of the DS (p<0.001). Most of the participants, but mainly the MS knew that anaphylaxis could be diagnosed clinically. The case questions about diagnosis of anaphylaxis related to local anesthetic and beta-lactam antibiotic use were answered correctly in a higher rate in MS than DS (p=0.01 and p<0.001), whereas the rate of correct diagnosis of anaphylaxis following a bee sting was similar between the groups. Conclusion: This study showed the gaps about the diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis not only in MS, but also in dentistry ones. It is possible to encounter a case of anaphylaxis for every student during clinical practice in the future. Thus, education about anaphylaxis should be included in the national dentistry core education programme and be improved in the medical school as well. Keywords: Anaphylaxis, epinephrine, student, medical, denta

Management of Patients with Hereditary Angioedema During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical course and treatment outcomes of patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) after infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Materials and Methods: Thirty-nine patients with HAE were included in this study. These patients were regularly followed up over phone calls since the first COVID-19 case was seen in our country. Patients were asked to visit the hospital if there was a history of contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient or if the patient developed clinical symptoms of COVID-19.Results: There were 21 (54%) patients with type I HAE, and 18 (46%) with type II HAE. All patients received treatment for angioedema attacks (C1-inhibitor [C1-INH], icatibant), and seven (20%) received long-term prophylaxis (danazol). Treatment for attacks was continued for all patients during the pandemic. Patients taking danazol were switched to long-term prophylaxis using the C1-INH concentrate. Eleven (28%) patients with HAE developed COVID-19 during this study. Only one patient had severe COVID-19. Six patients (54.5%) were diagnosed with type II HAE, and five (45.5%) were diagnosed with type I HAE. The most common COVID-19 symptoms were fever (7/11; 64%) and myalgia (6/11; 55%). Mild angioedema attacks were experienced by 36% (4/11) of the HAE patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Icatibant was used in all patients.Conclusion: Agents used for HAE block the kallikrein-kinin system and may be useful in the treatment of COVID-19. Considering their beneficial effects on COVID-19, it is recommended that HAE patients should continue the use of agents blocking the kallikrein-kinin system. Keywords: COVID-19, hereditary angioedema, kallikrein-kinin system, bradykinin, C1-INH

Standardized Quantitative Evaluation of Clinical Effectiveness and Side Effect Profile of Subcutaneous and Sublingual Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy in Children: A 5-Year Single Center Experience

Objective: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (allergen-SIT) is a treatment method with variable efficacy in allergic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of allergen immunotherapy, frequency of LRs and SRs and variables affecting these parameters in patients who underwent allergen-SIT. Materials and Methods: In this study, the recorded data of 81 patients, who received subcutaneous (SCIT) or sublingual (SLIT) allergen immunotherapy for respiratory allergic diseases between 2014 and 2019, were analyzed. In asthma and/or allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC) patients, the effectiveness of treatment was evaluated by analysing the change rates in disease symptom, medication and combined scores (symptom + medication) and visual analog score (VAS). Treatment success was defined by the degree of decrease in scores as; high response above 50%; low response between 20-50%; and failure <20%.Results: The mean age of allergen-SIT initiation was 11.4± 3.1 years. Diagnostic distributions of the patients were asthma (± ARC) in 64.2%, and ARC (without asthma) in 35.8%. The mode of allergen-SIT was SCIT in 77.8% (65% asthma and 35% ARC) and SLIT in 22.2% (61.1% asthma and 38.9% ARC). The main allergens used in allergen-SIT were mite (79%), grass-grain pollen (33.3%), alternaria (9.9%) and olea (8.6%). There was a significant decrease in symptoms, medication, combined and VAS scores in the asthma and ARC groups (p <0.0001), when end-SCIT values were compared to baseline. SLIT also resulted in significant decreases in these scores except asthma medication score. Among the asthma patients the rate of high-responders was 88.8% by SCIT and 50% by SLIT, according to combined asthma score. Among the ARC (without asthma) patients the rate of high-responders was 100% for both SCIT and SLIT. SCIT resulted in local (LR) and systemic side effects (SR) in 18% and 0.6% (all Grade I and Grade II) of the total injections performed. A high number of total injections was significantly associated with higher LR and SR rates. While LR was observed in 16.6% of the patients who underwent SLIT, no systemic reaction was found in any of the patients. Conclusion: SCIT was highly successful in the treatment of asthma and ARC in terms of the degree of therapeutic response. SLIT resulted in a high rate of good response in ARC patients, but a lower response degree in asthmatic patients. Systemic side effects were very low as a result of close risk monitoring and the dose adjustments performed. Keywords: Allergen-specific immunotherapy, SCIT, SLIT, efficacy, symptom score, medication score, visual analog score, side effects

A Rare Presentation of Coeliac Disease; Intractable Itching with Recurrent Heart Attack and Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Coeliac disease (CD) is a systemic disease of the unwarranted immune reaction to gluten and is associated with a 10% increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Here we present a patient with recurrent myocardial ischemia and intractable itching who was eventually diagnosed with CD. A 53-year-old man presented to the allergy department due to intractable itching that was resistant to antihistamine therapy. In addition, despite successful percutaneous intervention with stent implantation to the right coronary artery, there was an ST segment elevation with myocardial infarction (MI) in the lower wall that had occurred three times. After dermatitis herpetiformis was reported as a result of the biopsy performed from the lesions, duodenal biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of CD. Diagnosis of CD with atypical presentation can be difficult. Cardiovascular risk is increased in patients with celiac disease compared to the normal population. Itching is an important symptom that needs to be evaluated in detail, even without the typical gastrointestinal manifestations of CD. Keywords: Allergy, coeliac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, myocardial infarction, omalizumab, recurrent stenosis

Atopy and Allergic Diseases Have No Impact on the Severity of COVID-19

Objective: The clinical features of COVID-19 range from asymptomatic disease to severe pneumonia or even death. Therefore, many researchers have investigated the factors that could affect the severity of COVID-19. We aimed to assess the impact of aero-allergen sensitization and allergic diseases on the severity of COVID-19. Materials and Methods: We included 60 adult patients with symptomatic COVID-19 and allocated them into two groups equal in number as having severe and non-severe COVID-19. We evaluated the demographic features and allergic diseases in addition to clinical, laboratory and radiological findings of COVID-19. Skin prick tests (SPTs) with common aero-allergens, serum total IgE levels and blood eosinophil counts were evaluated 3 months after the patient’s recovery from COVID-19.Results: The mean age of the patients was 52 ± 11 years and 73.3% of the patients were male. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender, smoking habits, obesity and comorbidities. Although the frequency of sensitization to aero-allergens and the allergic diseases were similar, the history of allergic diseases in the family was higher in the severe group (p<0.001). The polysensitization in SPTs was associated with the presence of a cytokine storm during the infection (p=0.02). Total IgE levels and blood eosinophil counts were not significantly different between the two groups.Conclusion: The presence of atopy or allergic diseases does not seem to be related to the severity of COVID-19. However, polysensitization and a family history of allergic diseases are more prominent in those having a cytokine storm and severe COVID-19, respectively. Keywords: COVID-19, atopy, allergic disease, aero-allergen sensitization, cytokine storm

Assessment of Clinical Asthma Score and Asthma Severity Score in Preschool Children with Recurrent Wheezing

Objective: There is no definitive consensus on asthma exacerbation scoring for preschool children with recurrent wheezing. The Clinical Asthma Score (CAS) and Asthma Severity Score (ASS) are two scoring systems that can be used in this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between CAS and ASS, acute treatment, and exacerbation outcomes in preschool children with wheezing. Materials and Methods: The study included 70 patients aged 2-5 years who presented to the pediatric emergency department due to an acute wheezing episode. CAS and ASS were evaluated at exacerbation presentation and after initial salbutamol therapy. Results: Presenting scores were significantly higher among patients who had three or more episodes within the last year (p=0.01 for CAS, p=0.019 for ASS). Presenting scores were significantly higher in patients treated with systemic steroid therapy during the episode compared to those who were not (p=0.006 for CAS; p=0.003 for ASS). CAS and ASS predicted the use of acute steroid therapy with a sensitivity of 73.7% and 52.6%, and predicted hospitalization with a sensitivity of 95% and 82.5%, respectively. Conclusion: Our data suggest that these scoring systems can be used to judge the need for systemic steroid therapy and that high scores are associated with greater likelihood of hospital admission. Keywords: Asthma score, children, hospitalization, wheezing, exacerbation

Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Temporary Black Henna Tattoo Due to Sensitization to Para-Phenylenediamine

The fashion for temporary “black henna tattoo” is becoming increasingly more common among young adults and teens. An adolescent case with itching, erythema, edema, and inflammatory discharge on the right forearm two days after a temporary tattoo application is presented in this report. To determine the contact sensitizer, a patch test was performed one month after the end of the treatment. A bullous strong positive reaction (3+) was observed against para-phenylenediamine at the 48th and 72nd hours of evaluation after the application. Despite the common belief that henna tattoo application is harmless, the ingredients used in henna tattoo especially para-phenylenediamine can lead to allergenic reactions that can even be severe.Keywords: Adolescent, contact dermatitis, para-phenylenediamine

Omalizumab Treatment in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria During Pregnancy: Report of A Case and Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT Omalizumab is a safe and effective treatment option for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). Although cohort studies in patients with asthma show no increased risk of congenital abnormalities, very little data exist in the literature regarding the use of omalizumab for CSU during pregnancy. Herein, the safe and successful use of omalizumab updosing in a pregnant woman with CSU along with a review of the published literature is presented. Keywords: Chronic spontaneous urticaria, omalizumab, pregnancy, updosing