AIRS Patient Survey Provides Insight on Allergic Rhinitis

San Antonio—Allergen immunotherapy practice guidelines recommend specific immunotherapy (SIT) for allergic rhinitis (AR) patients who remain symptomatic despite allergen avoidance and AR pharmacotherapy. In addition, subcutaneous (SCIT) and sublingual (SLIT) immunotherapies require long-term patient commitment.

The Allergies, Immunotherapy and Rhinoconjunctivitis (AIRS) patient survey was designed to assess patient initiation of SIT and experience with AR treatment. Felicia Allen-Ramey and colleagues presented the results of this survey in a poster session at the AMCP meeting. The poster was titled Allergen Immunotherapy Experience Among Participants of the Allergies, Immunotherapy and Rhinoconjunctivitis (AIRS) Patient Survey.

Adult responders or caregivers with children who had ever been diagnosed with hay fever, AR, rhinoconjunctivitis, or nasal or eye injuries who also reported symptoms or medication use for these conditions in the past 12 months were eligible to participate in the cross-sectional phone survey. Using a sample of US households (n=34,030), cell phones and landlines were used to contact potential survey responders and invite them to participate. A total of 2172 landline interviews were completed, and a total of 593 cell phone interviews were completed.

Eighteen percent of AIRS respondents (n=2765) aged ≥5 years were diagnosed with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, including AR, rhinoconjunctivitis, and nasal or eye allergies.

The survey found the following most common unaided allergy triggers:

            • Pollen (53%)

            • House dust mites (26%)

            • Grass (26%)

            • Weather (19%)

            • Animals (15%)

The survey found the following symptoms reported as extremely bothersome:

            • Nasal congestion (39%)

            • Red, itchy eyes (34%)

            • Runny nose (29%)

            • Post-nasal drip (29%)

When asked about SIT, 46% of the respondents were aware of SIT in the form of SCIT injections or SLIT drops, yet only 23% reported ever receiving SIT—21% received shots and 2% received drops.

According to the survey respondents, reasons for initiation of SCIT therapy included unresolved symptoms (32%), bothersome/severe symptoms (19%), and doctor recommendation (17%).

Of the approximately 45% of the survey respondents receiving SIT in the past 1 to 2 months, 27% report reported use of prescription AR medication and 18% reported nonprescription AR medication.

For respondents receiving SCIT therapy, primary drawback reported included inconvenience (49%), dislike of shots (17%), and financial concerns (11%). An additional 8% reported no drawbacks. As for benefits of SCIT therapy, the respondents reported effective relief (38%), long-lasting relief (11%), and ability to discontinue other allergy medications (7%). An additional 17% reported no benefits. A total of 58% of survey respondents reported that the benefits of SCIT therapy outweighed the drawbacks.

Approximately 18% of the AIRS patients reported still receiving allergy shots at the time the survey took place.

Overall, SIT was initiated by participants, primarily as SCIT, and most commonly followed treatment failure with over-the-counter and/or prescription AR medications.