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Surveyed immunotherapy patients agreeable to at least three injections per visit

More than 70% of immunotherapy patients were willing to receive three or more injections per visit, according to recent survey results.

Patients on allergen immunotherapy at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, received a survey regarding the number of immunotherapy injections received per visit. Responding patients (n=344) were aged 4 to 80 years, with parents answering for children aged younger than 18 years.

Of the patients or parents who responded to the type of therapy administered, 81.7% received aeroallergen immunotherapy, 15.1% were treated with venom immunotherapy, and the remainder received both.

Patients reported receiving one (39.6%), two (41.9%), three (16.7%) or more than three (1.8%) injections at each visit, and 88.7% of allergists informed their patients about the number of injections they would be receiving before therapy began.

Of the patients receiving one injection per visit, 94.7% reported they would accept two or three injections; 93.8% of patients receiving two injections would accept three. Among patients receiving two or three injections, 6.8% would not prefer to receive fewer injections, 60.3% reported it did not matter, and 32.9% said they would prefer no more than one or two injections.

When asked what the maximum number of injections per visit they would be willing to receive, of the 174 patients who responded, 8.6% and 19% indicated they were agreeable to one or two injections, while 72.4% were OK with three or more injections per visit. Of 38 pediatric patients asked, 55.3% were willing to receive three or more injections.

“Most patients would be willing to receive up to three or more immunotherapy injections if this treatment would help their allergy-related symptoms,” the researchers said. “Allergists should include their patients in the decision involving the number of immunotherapy injections per visit.”

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.