Safety of rush subcutaneous immunotherapy administered in real life using an infusion pump

Abstract

Rush subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) schedules offer rapid clinical response, improved adherence, and increased cost-effectiveness because of a lower number of visits and doses. However, this therapy is associated with an increased incidence of adverse reactions (ARs). 1 Pfaar O. Leitzbach S. Hörmann K. Klimek L. Cluster protocols in SCIT: enough evidence for practical use?. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010; 10: 188-193 Crossref PubMed Scopus (17) Google Scholar , 2 Justicia J.L. Barasona M.J. Serrano P. Moreno C. Guerra F. Predicting patients at high-risk of systemic reactions to cluster allergen immunotherapy: a pilot prospective observational study. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2007; 17: 386-392 PubMed Google Scholar , 3 Tabar A.I. Fernández-Távora L. Alonso R. et al. Tolerance of a cluster schedule with a house dust mite extract quantified in mass units: multicentre study. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2004; 14: 193-197 PubMed Google Scholar , 4 Goldberg A. Yogev A. Confino-Cohen R. Three days rush venom immunotherapy in bee allergy: safe, inexpensive and instantaneously effective. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2011; 156: 90-98 Crossref PubMed Scopus (27) Google Scholar , 5 Calabria C.W. Accelerated immunotherapy schedules. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2013; 13: 389-398 Crossref PubMed Scopus (28) Google Scholar , 6 Cox L. Advantages and disadvantages accelerated immunotherapy schedules. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008; 122: 432-434 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (32) Google Scholar A few years ago, our group described the use of an infusion pump (IP) to administer SCIT according to a rush schedule. [7] Sastre J. Vallejo L. Fernandez-Nieto M. Hernandez E. Rico P. Rush allergen subcutaneous immunotherapy administered with infusion pump. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2011; 107: 459-460 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (8) Google Scholar The purpose of this study is to update our data on the safety of this therapy approach and to assess risk factors for ARs in real life using a similar rush schedule with an IP.