The Latin American Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (SLAAI) conducted a systematic search in the Medline and LILACS' database in order to get articles linked to 10 current questions about dermatitis. The assessment of the quality of the evidence and the strength of the recommendations was made through the GRADE system. The completeness and transparency of the recommendations for this clinical guide were assessed with the AGREE Reports Verification Checklist. The final document was shared with physicians, allergists, dermatologists, and pediatricians, and with patients and academic institutions such as universities and medical scientific societies for external assessment. According to the review, clinical scales should be used to measure the severity of the dermatitis, and some interventions such as the use of probiotics may benefit the patient; nevertheless, more studies are required before this management option can be used in the everyday practice. Other interventions such as dietary restrictions and the use of antihistamines seem to be well-founded only in particular cases and they should not be a general recommendation for all patients. This practical guide presents recommendations for the treatment of atopic dermatitis; these recommendations can be helpful for medical staff, patients, and health systems.
Latin-American children with asthma and/or allergic rhinitis showed sleep disorders identified by the CSHQ when compared to normal controls. Despite being treated, asthma causes sleep impairment, especially when uncontrolled.
Background: Sensitization to Blomia tropicalis (Bt) is very frequent in the tropics, and particularly in Cuba, being a significant cause of allergic asthma. Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) with Bt can be a therapeutic option, however, placebo-controlled clinical trials have not been reported.Objective: To assess the therapeutic effect and safety of AIT for asthma using a standardized allergen vaccine of B. tropicalis by subcutaneous route, in allergic asthmatic patients exposed and sensitized to this mite species.Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II trial was conducted in 35 adults (18 with treatment and 17 with placebo), with mild to moderate asthma, predominantly sensitized to Bt. AIT was administered subcutaneously in increasing doses from 4 to 6000 Biological Units using a locally manufactured standardized extract (BIOCEN, Cuba). Patient assessment was performed using symptom-medication score (SMS), peak expiratory flow and skin reactivity relative to Histamine as measured by skin prick test (SPT).
Results:The 12-month treatment achieved a significant (p < 0.001) decrease of SMS. Symptom score showed only 41% (CI: 26-61) of placebo values, whereas medication was 34.5% (22.4%-63.3%). Treatment was regarded clinically effective in 67% of patients (OR 32; 95%CI: 17 to 102). The effect size on symptoms and medication was higher than has been reported with equivalent allergen dosages of D. pteronyssinus and D. siboney in Cuban asthmatic patients. Skin reactivity to Bt was also significantly reduced (p ¼ 0.0001), increasing 148-fold the allergen threshold to elicit a positive skin test. This desensitization effect was specific to Bt and did not modify the reactivity to Dermatophagoides. The change of specific skin reactivity was significantly (p < 0.05) correlated to clinical improvement. All adverse events were local with a frequency of 2.4% of injections.Conclusions: Subcutaneous AIT with Blomia tropicalis was effective and safe in asthmatic adults exposed and sensitized to this mite species in a tropical environment.
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