Prévention des pollinoses : étude d’une intervention par information et mise sous traitement des patients

Abstract

The prevalence of seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis has been increasing in the general population for several decades. As a result, the identification and validation of preventive methods to limit allergy-related symptoms appear to be an important goal in the field of public health. The objective of this interventional study was to measure the impact of prevention based on information on the first appearance of grass pollen (i.e., the first pollen formed on the inflorescence of the plants). The study was conducted in Nantes, France in 2007. Pollen information was obtained from an experimental garden named “pollinier sentinelle”. Eighty-one volunteer patients, recruited by allergists, were randomized into two parallel groups (group I for intervention and group C for control). Patients in group I were informed by phone of the appearance of grass pollen on March 9 th and they were told to begin treatment with an antihistamine. All patients kept a daily diary on their rhinoconjunctivitis-related symptoms and on their medical treatment during the 4 months of the study. In group I, the number of days with symptoms was significantly lower than in group C (20 % less over the study period in patients who were symptom-free before the intervention). Despite some limitations, mainly attributable to the very early start of the 2007 pollen season, this study shows that this type of intervention can contribute to the reduction of symptoms in patients suffering from seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis.