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Low level of systemic reactions reported among patients with SCIT

Patients who underwent subcutaneous immunotherapy experienced a low frequency of systemic reactions, but researchers recommended determining predisposing factors to reactions before implementing immunotherapy, according to recent research.

“Local, wide local, and systemic reactions are observed at certain rates during SCIT during childhood. Therefore, the immunotherapy method and technique should be carefully selected, and to minimize the incidence of adverse effects, the known risk factors should be reviewed, and patient selection and close follow-up of patients’ clinical and immunologic parameters are important,” Hikmet Tekin Nacaroglu, MD, of the department of pediatric allergy and immunology at Dr. Behcet Uz Children’s Hospital in Izmir, Turkey, and colleagues wrote. “In addition, immunotherapy should be applied in centers that have medical instruments and educated personnel who can undertake the responsibility of treatment in cases of a possible systemic reaction.”

Nacaroglu and colleagues evaluated 14,308 injections in 319 patients given between 2003 and 2013 using the Subcutaneous Immunotherapy Systemic Reaction Grading System to determine local and systemic reactions, according to the abstract. The researchers analyzed the type of allergens producing a sensitivity, the type of allergic disease, the content of allergen immunotherapy, adjuvant content and the frequency of adverse events.

They found 11.9% of patients experienced local reactions (0.38% of all injections), 5% of patients experienced wide local reactions and 4.7% experienced systemic reactions (0.1% of all injections), according to the abstract. During the build-up phase, researchers found local reactions were the most frequent, while in the maintenance phase, systemic reactions were the most frequent (P = .01). Patients with multiple allergens (P = .002) and patients allergic to dust mites (P = .001) were more likely to have side reactions. The researchers found no statistically significant difference between the frequency of adverse effects and adjuvant content. – by Jeff Craven

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.