Effectiveness and Compliance of Immunotherapy in Allergic Rhinitis

Kim, Hyun Kyu; Roh, Hwan Jung; Koo, Soo Kweon; Song, Chang Youn; Han, Cheol Woo; Kim, Sung Won

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The objective of this article is to evaluate the effectiveness and the compliance rates of immunotherapy, and to identify the factors affecting the compliance of immunotherapy. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We evaluated the charts of 120 patients with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma, for which allergen immunotherapy was carried out from 1998 and 2000. Information was obtained via chart reviews and telephone surveys. RESULTS: Among the 120 patients with allergic rhinitis, 41 patients also had asthma. The common allergens identified by the skin prick test prior to immunotherapy were D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, dog fur, cat fur, and cockroaches, et al. The skin prick test reactivity to common allergens is significantly lower after three years of immunotherapy than it is prior to immunotherapy. The satisfaction of patients after immunotherapy between the allergic rhinitis group and allergic rhinitis with asthma group are as follows: much satisfied (25.4%/27.3%), fairy satisfied (31.6%/33.7%), a little satisfied (15.2%/17.2%), not satisfied (17.1%/13.3%), and unsure (10.7%/8.5%). In our study, the compliance rates of immunotherapy were 65.7%. The reasons cited for discontinuance of allergen immunotherapy were inconvenience (45%), lack of improvement in symptoms (23%), improvement in symptoms (15%), greater improvement in symptoms through medication (11%), and other reason (7%). CONCLUSION: If we increase the compliance of immunotherapy through various researches on the compliance of immunotherapy and educating patients about it, allergen immunotherapy may become more effective in treating allergic disorders.