Allergy Medications Research Articles

P.115 Association of phantogeusia with Parkinson Disease

Background: Phantogeusia associated with Parkinson Disease has not heretofore been reported. Methods: A 59 year old right handed female presented with a four year history of a bitter, sour and sweet taste on her entire tongue and roof of her mouth, 8/10 intensity, constant, persistent, without any external stimuli. Drinking water tasted bitter and sour. The phantogeusia was unresponsive to dietary changes, gabapentine, and allergy medications. Results: Abnormalities in Neurological examination: Decreased blink frequency. Hypokinetic. Hypomimetic face. Mood appears sad. Cranial Nerve (CN) examination: CN lll, lV, Vl: Saccadization of horizontal eye movements. Motor Examination: Pill rolling tremor in right hand. 1+ cogwheel rigidity in left upper extremity. Gait: 2+ retropulsion. Chemosensory testing: Olfactory: Alcohol Sniff Test: 6 (anosmia). SNAP Phenylethyl Alcohol Threshold Testing left -2.5 (hyposmia) & right > -2.0 (anosmia). Gustatory testing: Propylthiouracil Disc Taste test: 10 (normogeusia). Taste Testing Threshold: normogeusia to NaCl, Sucrose, HCl, Urea, and PTC. Other: DOPAPET: positive for Parkinson disease. Upper endoscopy: normal. Conclusions: Investigation for the presence of parkinsonian features in those with phantogeusia is warranted and chemosensory dysfunction including phantogeusia in those who presents with Parkinson’s disease is worthy of exploration.

Short-term effect of outdoor mould spore exposure on prescribed allergy medication sales in Central France.

Outdoor moulds are classically associated with exacerbations of asthma. The aim of this paper was to examine nasal allergy morbidity by studying the short-term relationship between mould spore exposure and daily sales of reimbursable anti-allergic treatment in central France. The relationship between daily changes in mould concentrations and daily sales obtained from the national healthcare database was analysed with generalized additive models, taking into account confounding factors such as air pollution, weather conditions, pollen counts, and days of the week. During the study, the average total yearly number of treated people was around 10000 over approximately 230000 surveyed. The relative risk (95% CI confidence interval) of sales of oral antihistamines with topical treatment associated with an interquartile increase in mould concentration was significant for Cladosporium 1.079 [1.019-1.142] and Aspergillus-Penicillium (Asp-Pen) 1.051 [1.021-1.082] in the whole population. When the influence of age and sex was considered, the relationship was significant only in male children aged 0-12years and those aged between 13 and 49years for Cladosporium: 1.256 [1.081-1.460] and 1.151 [1.063-1.245], respectively. The relationship was also significant for Asp-Pen: 1.038 [1.003-1.075] for those aged between 13 and 49years and 1.056 [1.007-1.108] for adults over 50years of age. The association between prescribed daily sales of oral antihistamines with topical treatment sales is associated with temporal changes to Cladosporium and Aspergillus-Penicillium in the whole population. When the influence of age and sex was considered, these two moulds contributed to prescribed medication sales only in the male general population.

An explorative study on medicines reconciliation in the homeless with a mental illness.

This study explored the accuracy of medicines-related information (MRI) held by healthcare service providers in a hostel for homeless men with a mental illness. Fifteen residents' records were screened for MRI on medical history, allergy status and treatment, using all available sources. There was a significant difference in the number of prescribed psychotropics amongst different services. Twenty-three discrepancies (n = 90) were due to different doses, and 63 discrepancies were omissions. Only three of 14 allergy statuses were identical. Pharmacists are the key drivers of medicines reconciliation. They can improve patients' outcomes by ensuring safer prescribing through liaison.

Association Between Use of Acid-Suppressive Medications and Antibiotics During Infancy and Allergic Diseases in Early Childhood

Allergic diseases are prevalent in childhood. Early exposure to medications that can alter the microbiome, including acid-suppressive medications and antibiotics, may influence the likelihood of allergy. To determine whether there is an association between the use of acid-suppressive medications or antibiotics in the first 6 months of infancy and development of allergic diseases in early childhood. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 792 130 children who were Department of Defense TRICARE beneficiaries with a birth medical record in the Military Health System database between October 1, 2001, and September 30, 2013, with continued enrollment from within 35 days of birth until at least age 1 year. Children who had an initial birth stay of greater than 7 days or were diagnosed with any of the outcome allergic conditions within the first 6 months of life were excluded from the study. Data analysis was performed from April 15, 2015, to January 4, 2018. Exposures were defined as having any dispensed prescription for a histamine-2 receptor antagonist (H2RA), proton pump inhibitor (PPI), or antibiotic. The main outcome was allergic disease, defined as the presence of food allergy, anaphylaxis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, urticaria, contact dermatitis, medication allergy, or other allergy. Of 792 130 children (395 215 [49.9%] girls) included for analysis, 60 209 (7.6%) were prescribed an H2RA, 13 687 (1.7%) were prescribed a PPI, and 131 708 (16.6%) were prescribed an antibiotic during the first 6 months of life. Data for each child were available for a median of 4.6 years. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) in children prescribed H2RAs and PPIs, respectively, were 2.18 (95% CI, 2.04-2.33) and 2.59 (95% CI, 2.25-3.00) for food allergy, 1.70 (95% CI, 1.60-1.80) and 1.84 (95% CI, 1.56-2.17) for medication allergy, 1.51 (95% CI, 1.38-1.66) and 1.45 (95% CI, 1.22-1.73) for anaphylaxis, 1.50 (95% CI, 1.46-1.54) and 1.44 (95% CI, 1.36-1.52) for allergic rhinitis, and 1.25 (95% CI, 1.21-1.29) and 1.41 (95% CI, 1.31-1.52) for asthma. The aHRs after antibiotic prescription in the first 6 months of life were 2.09 (95% CI, 2.05-2.13) for asthma, 1.75 (95% CI, 1.72-1.78) for allergic rhinitis, 1.51 (95% CI, 1.38-1.66) for anaphylaxis, and 1.42 (95% CI, 1.34-1.50) for allergic conjunctivitis. This study found associations between the use of acid-suppressive medications and antibiotics during the first 6 months of infancy and subsequent development of allergic disease. Acid-suppressive medications and antibiotics should be used during infancy only in situations of clear clinical benefit.

How do paper and electronic records compare for completeness? A three centre study.

Medical records are legal documentation of patients' care hence must be accurate and complete for both medical and legal purposes. Electronic patient record (EPR) systems aim to improve the accuracy of documentation, provide better organisation and access of data. This study compares the completeness of traditional note records and EPR in glaucoma patients. Using criteria from the April 2009 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines completeness of data entry was compared between EPR and paper notes in three units. Moorfields Eye Hospital (City Road) uses the Openeyes EPR. Bedford Hospital (Moorfields Eye Centre) and Western Eye Hospital use the Medisoft EPR. The standard was set at 100% compliance for predetermined parameters. One hundred seventy paper notes and 270 electronic records were analysed. With the exception of central corneal thickness (p = 0.31), all other key parameters were more consistently recorded in the paper records than in the EPR. Intraocular pressure (p = 0.004), anterior chamber configuration and depth assessments using gonioscopy (p < 0.001), fundus examination (p = 0.015), past medical history (p < 0.001), medication including glaucoma medication (p < 0.001) and drug allergies (p < 0.001). Our results show that paper records are significantly more complete than EPR. This is the case for two different EPRs and three separate sites. We propose additional training to aid data-collection; improving the design of EPRs by investigating factors such as layout and use of forced choice fields.

Are Self-Reported Medication Allergies Associated With Worse Hip Outcome Scores Prior to Hip Arthroscopy?

To determine if there are significant differences in preoperative patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores in patients with and without self-reported medication allergies undergoing hip arthroscopy. Consecutive subjects undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome by a single surgeon were retrospectively reviewed. PROs were collected within 6weeks of the date of surgery. PROs included International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12), Hip Outcome Score (HOS), and Short-Form (SF-12) scores. Allergies to medications were self-reported preoperatively within 6weeks of the date of surgery. Patient demographics were recorded. Bivariate correlations and multivariate regression models were calculated to identify associations with baseline hip outcome scores. Two hundred twelve subjects were analyzed (56% female, mean age 35.1 ± 13.2years). Seventy-two subjects (34%) self-reported allergies (range 1-10; 41 subjects had 1 allergy; 14 subjects had 2; 8 subjects had 3; 2 subjects had 4; 7 subjects had 5 or more). The most commonly reported allergies included penicillin (18), sulfa (13), and codeine (11). Female gender was significantly correlated with number of allergies (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.188; P < .001). SF-12 Mental Component Score (MCS) was significantly correlated with HOS-ADL (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.389; P< .001), HOS-SSS (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.251; P < .001), and iHOT-12 (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.385; P < .001). There was no significant correlation between number of allergies and all hip PROs. In all multivariate models, the SF-12 MCS had the strongest association with HOS-ADL, HOS-SSS, and iHOT-12 (P < .001 for all). Allergies were not significantly associated with any hip PROs. In patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAI syndrome, self-reported medication allergies are not significantly associated with preoperative patient-reported hip outcome scores. Level III, retrospective comparative case series.

Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis Presenting With Gastric Perforation

A 28-year-old woman presented with epigastralgia. She had no history of medical conditions, allergies, or drug use. Computed tomography revealed free air and a perforation in the thickened stomach wall (Figure A). Emergency surgery revealed a 4-mm perforation in the greater curvature of the middle gastric body. Greater omentum filling was performed surgically. Afterward, a proton pump inhibitor was administered. However, because epigastric discomfort persisted and the serum eosinophils increased to 1950/μL (25.0%), esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed 2 months later, revealing a discolored, edematous, depressed lesion with an ulcer at the perforated region (Figure B). Endoscopic biopsy showed marked infiltration of eosinophils (80/high-power field) (Figure C). Eosinophilic gastroenteritis presenting with gastric perforation was diagnosed. Oral prednisolone, 20 mg, was added. The patient’s symptoms improved immediately, and the lesion was healed 2 weeks later (Figure D). Biopsy showed a marked decrease of eosinophilic infiltration. Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract. Gastric endoscopic findings are edema, erythema, and erosions. Gastric ulcers are rare, and gastric perforation is typically not noted, with only 1 case of a pediatric patient identified in the English literature. This case illustrates the diverse presentation of eosinophilic gastroenteritis, including gastric perforation as a possible complication.

Single vs multiallergen sublingual immunotherapy in the polysensitized patient: a pilot study.

Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has emerged as an effective and exceptionally safe method of treatment of the atopic patient. However, the optimal number of allergens that should be included in the SLIT treatment regimen for the polysensitized patient is not known and practices vary widely. This study aims to compare the efficacy of single-allergen SLIT with pauci-allergen vs multiallergen aqueous SLIT in polysensitized patients. Sixteen subjects sensitized to 6+ allergens were enrolled in the study. Subjects were blinded and randomized to SLIT treatment groups that included 1 (single), 3 (pauci), or all sensitized allergens (multi). Allergens selected were those to which the patient was most sensitized and correlated with history. Primary outcomes included daily allergy medication use, weekly Rhinoconjunctivitis Symptom Score (RCSS), and the mini-Rhinoconjuncitivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (m-RQLQ). All metrics were measured at baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months. There were significant decreases from baseline in RCSS and m-RQLQ scores in all study groups at each interval after beginning SLIT (p < 0.05). There was no significant decrease in number of daily allergy medications used regardless of number of allergens in patient's treatment vial (p = 0.50). No significant differences emerged based on number of allergens used. Single-antigen, pauci-antigen, and multiantigen aqueous SLIT significantly improved allergy symptoms. There was no significant difference observed in efficacy of single-allergen SLIT vs pauci-allergen or multi-allergen SLIT in polysensitized patients.

Use of antibiotics by spanish dentists receiving postgraduate training in endodontics.

BackgroundThe incidence of endodontic infections is high. The contribution of Endodontics to the global problem of antibiotic resistance could be significant. The ESE, together with the World Health Organization, are promoting the World Antibiotic Awareness Week (13-19 November 2017) to promote the appropriate use of systemic antibiotics in Endodontics. The objective of this study was to determine the prescription pattern of antibiotics in the treatment of endodontic infections of Spanish dentists attending specialization programs in Endodontics.Material and MethodsDentists from five Spanish endodontic postgraduate programs were requested to answer a one-page questionnaire surveying about antibiotics indications. Seventy-three dentists were required to participate in this investigation, and 67 (91.2%) fulfilled satisfactorily the survey and were included in the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi square test.ResultsThe average duration of antibiotic therapy was 6.8±1.2 days. All respondents chose amoxicillin as first choice antibiotic in patients with no medical allergies, alone (40%) or associated to clavulanic acid (60%). The first drug of choice for penicillin allergic patients was clindamycin (72%). For cases of irreversible pulpitis, 22% of respondents prescribed antibiotics. For the scenario of a necrotic pulp, symptomatic apical periodontitis and no swelling, 37% prescribed antibiotics. A quarter of dentists prescribed antibiotics for necrotic pulps with asymptomatic apical periodontitis and a sinus tract.ConclusionsThe results of this study show that postgraduate training in Endodontics provides greater awareness of the correct indications of antibiotics. Dentists who have received specialized training in Endodontics have a prescription pattern of antibiotics more adjusted to the guidelines recommended by international organizations and by scientific societies. Key words:Antibiotics, apical periodontitis, dental curriculum, endodontic infections, postgraduate endodontic training.

From subconscious to conscious to artificial intelligence: A focus on electronic health records.

A paradigm shift in human evolution, from our predecessors, the 'hunter-gatherers' to the 'era of digital revolution', has made certain human skills more and more machine driven. This digital revolution has made possible a constant connectivity, wearable technologies, customized platforms, enormous data storage and cloud computing at high speeds, smart phones and apps, internet of things, artificial intelligence, telemedicine, etc. These have made real-time monitoring and interventions possible in healthcare. Most advanced countries have made electronic health records (EHR) mandatory. The Government of India has an agenda of Digital India and digital healthcare and might insist on EHRs. EHR is a real-time, patient-centered digital version of a patient's paper record/chart, available instantly and securely to authorized users. EHR contains a patient's medical history, diagnosis, medications, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergies, radiological images, and laboratory results. It can access evidence-based tools that help to make safer decisions about a patient's care with enhanced decision support, clinical alerts, reminders and medical information. The procedure is also more reliable for dispensing medications and introduces the convenience of e-prescriptions. While the advanced technology and digital devices are well received by the healthcare providers, universal acceptance of the EHRs is far from achieving its full potential. The author, in this paper, discusses the current scenario and issues concerned with EHRs in the digital healthcare.

Review: Side Effects of Some Commonly Used Allergy Medications (Decongestants, Anti-Leukotriene Agents, Antihistamines, Steroids, and Zinc) and Their Safety in Pregnancy

A literature search was undertaken. We searched the databases of Pubmed, MEDLINE, EMBASE databases, and Cochrane Library from 1990 to October 2016, using key words: Allergy, Medications, Antihistamines, Decongestants, Montelukast, Side effects, Adverse Events, Adverse, Effects, Zinc, Steroids, Pregnancy, Reviews, RCT, and Case Report.

Poisoning caused by diclofenac sodium

The death incident case caused by the continuous uncontrolled consuming of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (diclofenac sodium) that resulted in developing of side effects of the organism - medication allergy and cardiovascular disorders is given.

P080 Patient responses to ragweed challenge validate the allergen challenge theatre™

Seasonal pollen concentration variability can confound results of field studies for allergy medications. Allergen exposure facilities provide stable pollen concentrations and offer alternatives to field studies. We validated our Allergen Challenge Theatre (ACT) by assessing subject responses to ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) pollen.

Variability in Threshold for Medication Error Reporting Between Physicians, Nurses, Pharmacists, and Families.

Voluntary medication error reporting is an imperfect resource used to improve the quality of medication administration. It requires judgment by front-line staff to determine how to report enough to identify opportunities to improve patients' safety but not jeopardize that safety by creating a culture of "report fatigue." This study aims to provide information on interpretability of medication error and the variability between the subgroups of caregivers in the hospital setting. Survey participants included nursing, physician (trainee and graduated), patient/families, pharmacist across a large academic health system, including an attached free-standing pediatric hospital. Demographics and survey questions were collected and analyzed using Fischer's exact testing with SAS v9.3. Statistically significant variability existed between the four groups for a majority of the questions. This included all cases designated as administration errors and many, but not all, cases of prescribing events. Commentary provided in the free-text portion of the survey was sub-analyzed and found to be associated with medication allergy reporting and lack of education surrounding report characteristics. There is significant variability in the threshold to report specific medication errors in the hospital setting. More work needs to be done to further improve the education surrounding error reporting in hospitals for all noted subgroups.

Pharmacotherapy Pearls for Emergency Neurological Life Support.

The appropriate use of medications during Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS) is essential to optimize patient care. Important considerations when choosing the appropriate agent include the patient's organ function and medication allergies, potential adverse drug effects, drug interactions and critical illness and aging pathophysiologic changes. Critical medications used during ENLS include hyperosmolar therapy, anticonvulsants, antithrombotics, anticoagulant reversal and hemostatic agents, anti-shivering agents, neuromuscular blockers, antihypertensive agents, sedatives, vasopressors and inotropes, and antimicrobials. This article focuses on the important pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics characteristics, advantages and disadvantages and clinical pearls of these therapies, providing practitioners with essential drug information to optimize pharmacotherapy in acutely ill neurocritical care patients.

'What is not written does not exist': the importance of proper documentation of medication use history.

Medications are perceived as health risk factors, because they might cause damage if used improperly. In this context, an adequate assessment of medication use history should be encouraged, especially in transitions of care to avoid unintended medication discrepancies (UMDs). In a case-controlled study, we investigated potential risk factors for UMDs at hospital admission and found that 150 (42%) of the 358 patients evaluated had one or more UMDs. We were surprised to find that there was no record of a patient and/or relative interview on previous use of medication in 117 medical charts of adult patients (44.8%). Similarly, in the medical charts of 52 (53.6%) paediatric patients, there was no record of parents and/or relatives interviews about prior use of medications. One hundred thirty-seven medical charts of adult patients (52.4%) and seventy-two medical charts of paediatric patients (74.2%) had no record about medication allergies and intolerances. In other words, there was a lack of basic documentation regarding the patient's medication use history. As patients move between settings in care, there is insufficient tracking of verbal and written information related to medication changes, which results in a progressive and cumulative loss of information, as evidenced by problems associated with clinical transfers and medication orders. Proper documentation of medication information during transfer is a key step in the procedure; hence, it should be rightly performed. It remains unclear whether interviews, and other investigations about medication use history have been performed but have not been recorded as health-care data. Therefore, it is crucial to the improvement of medication use safety that documentation of all drug-related information-even if not directly relatedto the actual event-become routine practice in health-care organizations, since 'what is not written does not exist'.

Age-related off-label use of nasal corticosteroids for allergies is relatively common in Finnish children with asthma.

Allergies can worsen asthma symptoms and we used national data to identify allergy medication prescribed for Finnish children and adolescents who used asthma medication. Register data were available for 13 435 Finnish children aged 0-17 who were entitled to special reimbursement for asthma medication during 2006-2009. Allergy medication purchases were individually analysed 2 years before and 2 years after the entitlement for asthma medication reimbursement was granted. Two-thirds (66.5%) of the children had used at least one allergy medication during the 4-year follow-up, with an average of five purchases. Most (91%) of the allergy medication purchased was systemic antihistamines and half (50%) was nasal corticosteroids. In all, 8% of the allergy medication and 22% of the nasal corticosteroids were classified as off-label purchases based on the child's age. Paediatric allergologists and paediatricians prescribed 59% of the allergy medication and 76% of the off-label nasal corticoids. Most asthmatic children and adolescents used allergy medication. Nasal corticosteroids were the commonly prescribed off-label item and the prescribers were mainly specialists in paediatric allergology or paediatrics. Official dosage instructions and more specific clinical guidelines are needed to support appropriate prescribing of nasal corticosteroids for young children.

A double-blinded, randomized, controlled, crossover evaluation of a zinc methionine supplement as an adjunctive treatment for canine atopic dermatitis.

Zinc is important for skin health and proper immune system function. A zinc methionine, essential fatty acids (EFA) and biotin product (Zn supplement) was compared to an EFA and biotin product (control) in canine atopic dermatitis (CAD). Twenty seven client-owned dogs with chronic CAD receiving ciclosporin or glucocorticoids. A 24 week, randomized, double-blinded, controlled study with crossover at week 12 and 4 week period of allergy medication reduction at weeks 8 and 20. Evaluations included Canine Atopic Dermatitis Lesion Index (CADLI), pruritus Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and cytology sampling. In dogs receiving the zinc supplement and ciclosporin for eight weeks, 44% (n = 7) had significantly decreased CADLI from 11.9 to 6.0 (P = 0.0002) with no significant change in pruritus VAS (P = 1.0). In dogs receiving the zinc supplement and glucocorticoids for eight weeks, 55% (n = 6) had significantly decreased CADLI from 10.9 to 5.0 (P = 0.0043) and pruritus VAS from 7.4 to 3.2 (P = 0.0166). For dogs receiving either steroids or ciclosporin there was a reduction in use of such medications, for at least four weeks, in 63% of dogs receiving the zinc supplement and 37% of dogs receiving the control. This difference was not significant (P = 0.1027). Seventy eight percent of dogs were diagnosed and treated for superficial skin infections during the study. This study supports a potential benefit of adjunctive zinc methionine supplementation in CAD. Dogs receiving glucocorticoids may be more likely to benefit. Further studies are needed to substantiate these initial results.

P119 A comparison of the clinical safety of independent nurse prescribing (INP) and use of patient group directions (PGDS) by nurses in uk sexual health clinics

IntroductionUnder UK legislation, nurses independently prescribe or supply medications using PGDs, but evidence on safety in clinical practice is limited.MethodsClinical record review across five UK sexual health services, July–December 2015....

Prospective evaluation of electronic medical record penicillin allergy documentation at a tertiary community teaching hospital

Prospective evaluation of electronic medical record penicillin allergy documentation at a tertiary community teaching hospital