Background Despite available treatments for allergic rhinitis (AR), patients are often dissatisfi... more Background Despite available treatments for allergic rhinitis (AR), patients are often dissatisfied with their treatment and experience uncontrolled symptoms. Measurement-based care is the systematic use of standardized measurements used during office visits to inform treatment decisions. The Improving Symptom Control of Allergic Rhinitis (ICAR) study determined if the assessment and management of AR through measurement-based care could improve patient outcomes. Methods ICAR was a real-world, open-label, prospective, multicenter study conducted in Canada between September 2021 and December 2021. Enrolled adult patients (n=503) with AR were categorized as treatment-naïve, uncontrolled despite AR treatment, or requiring a treatment switch due to adverse effects. AR symptoms and symptom control were assessed by the patient using the Rhinitis Control Assessment Test (RCAT) and, by both the patient and the clinician, on a visual analog scale (VAS) at baseline and after 4 weeks of 10 mg ...
IntroductionAnaphylaxis is a severe, potentially fatal multiorgan system manifestation of an alle... more IntroductionAnaphylaxis is a severe, potentially fatal multiorgan system manifestation of an allergic reaction. The highest incidence of anaphylaxis is in children and adolescents. Biphasic anaphylaxis (BA) is defined as the recurrence of allergic symptoms after resolution of an initial reaction. It has been reported to occur in 10%–20% of cases within 1–48 hours from the onset of the initial reaction. The dilemma for physicians is determining which patients with resolved anaphylaxis should be observed for BA and for how long. Guidelines for duration of postanaphylaxis monitoring vary, are based on limited evidence and can have unintended negative impacts on patient safety, quality of life and healthcare resources. The objectives of this study are to derive a prognostic model for BA and to develop a risk-scoring system that informs disposition decisions of children who present to emergency departments (ED) with anaphylaxis.Methods and analysisThis prospective multicentre cohort stud...
The novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely impacted the training of h... more The novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely impacted the training of health care professional students because of concerns of potential asymptomatic transmission to colleagues and vulnerable patients. From May 27th, 2020, to June 23rd 2021; at a time when B.1.1.7 (alpha) and B.1.617.2 (delta) were the dominant circulating variants, PCR testing was conducted on 1,237 nasopharyngeal swabs collected from 457 asymptomatic health care professional students as they returned to their studies from across Canada to Kingston, ON, a low prevalence area during that period for COVID-19. Despite 46.7% of COVID-19 infections occurring in the 18–29 age group in Kingston, severe-acute-respiratory coronavirus-2 was not detected in any of the samples suggesting that negligible asymptomatic infection occurred in this group and that PCR testing in this setting may not be warranted as a screening tool.
Additional file 1: Table S1. Change from baseline in Total Symptom Score (TSS) in loratadine and ... more Additional file 1: Table S1. Change from baseline in Total Symptom Score (TSS) in loratadine and placebo groups.
Patients with asthma frequently over rely on short-acting beta-agonists (SABA) to treat acute sym... more Patients with asthma frequently over rely on short-acting beta-agonists (SABA) to treat acute symptoms. This can adversely impact quality of life and increase the risk of exacerbations. SABA overuse is also associated with an increased risk of mortality. In their 2021 update on the diagnosis and management of mild asthma, the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) newly recommended that a combination inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long-acting beta-agonist, specifically budesonide/formoterol, may be used as-needed (PRN) as an alternative reliever to SABA. The CTS developed an algorithm as a guide for deciding for whom PRN budesonide/formoterol versus PRN SABA is appropriate as a reliever. While the CTS algorithm provides necessary and precise guidance, the somewhat complicated requirements for determining control and exacerbation risk may still end up leaving some patients at-risk of SABA overreliance. This communication simplifies the reliever decision algorithm developed by the CTS for ...
The prevalence of cat allergen-induced AR is increasing worldwide, prompting its study using cont... more The prevalence of cat allergen-induced AR is increasing worldwide, prompting its study using controlled methodology. Three general categories of allergen exposure models currently exist for the study of cat allergen-induced AR: natural exposure cat rooms, allergen exposure chambers (AEC), and nasal allergen challenges (NAC). We evaluated existing literature surrounding the use of these models to study cat allergen induced AR using online research databases, including OVID Medline, Embase, and Web of Science. We report that natural exposure cat rooms have been important in establishing the foundation for our understanding of cat allergen-induced AR. Major limitations, including variable allergen ranges and differing study designs highlight the need for a more standardized protocol. In comparison, AECs are an exceptional model to mimic real-world allergen exposure and study long-term implications of AR with large sample sizes. Existing AECs are limited by heterogeneous facility design...
Background The Allergy Patient Identification for Immunotherapy (AsPIRe) program was a parallel p... more Background The Allergy Patient Identification for Immunotherapy (AsPIRe) program was a parallel physician and patient survey. The objectives were to examine physician and patient perceptions of seasonal allergy symptoms and their impact on patients, and to examine patient and physician attitudes to allergen immunotherapy (AIT) for seasonal allergies. AsPIRe was led by a steering committee and received research ethics board clearance from Queen’s University. Methods Allergists (17) from across Canada enrolled in the AsPIRe program and completed an on-line survey to collect demographic information and baseline perceptions. Allergists then recruited patients and completed paper-based parallel physician and patient questionnaires. Patients received an AIT informational booklet with their questionnaire. Patients who were AIT-naïve with no contraindication to AIT and 12 years of age and older met the inclusion criteria. Results The survey was in field from February 2018 to June 2018. A to...
Allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology : official journal of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2018
Allergen-specific immunotherapy is a potentially disease-modifying therapy that is effective for ... more Allergen-specific immunotherapy is a potentially disease-modifying therapy that is effective for the treatment of allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis, allergic asthma and stinging insect hypersensitivity. However, despite its proven efficacy in these conditions, it is frequently underutilized in Canada. The decision to proceed with allergen-specific immunotherapy should be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account individual patient factors, such as the degree to which symptoms can be reduced by avoidance measures and pharmacological therapy, the amount and type of medication required to control symptoms, the adverse effects of pharmacological treatment, and patient preferences. Since this form of therapy carries a risk of anaphylactic reactions, it should only be prescribed by physicians who are adequately trained in the treatment of allergic conditions. Furthermore, for subcutaneous therapy, injections must be given under medical supervision in clinics that are equipped to ma...
Background Despite available treatments for allergic rhinitis (AR), patients are often dissatisfi... more Background Despite available treatments for allergic rhinitis (AR), patients are often dissatisfied with their treatment and experience uncontrolled symptoms. Measurement-based care is the systematic use of standardized measurements used during office visits to inform treatment decisions. The Improving Symptom Control of Allergic Rhinitis (ICAR) study determined if the assessment and management of AR through measurement-based care could improve patient outcomes. Methods ICAR was a real-world, open-label, prospective, multicenter study conducted in Canada between September 2021 and December 2021. Enrolled adult patients (n=503) with AR were categorized as treatment-naïve, uncontrolled despite AR treatment, or requiring a treatment switch due to adverse effects. AR symptoms and symptom control were assessed by the patient using the Rhinitis Control Assessment Test (RCAT) and, by both the patient and the clinician, on a visual analog scale (VAS) at baseline and after 4 weeks of 10 mg ...
IntroductionAnaphylaxis is a severe, potentially fatal multiorgan system manifestation of an alle... more IntroductionAnaphylaxis is a severe, potentially fatal multiorgan system manifestation of an allergic reaction. The highest incidence of anaphylaxis is in children and adolescents. Biphasic anaphylaxis (BA) is defined as the recurrence of allergic symptoms after resolution of an initial reaction. It has been reported to occur in 10%–20% of cases within 1–48 hours from the onset of the initial reaction. The dilemma for physicians is determining which patients with resolved anaphylaxis should be observed for BA and for how long. Guidelines for duration of postanaphylaxis monitoring vary, are based on limited evidence and can have unintended negative impacts on patient safety, quality of life and healthcare resources. The objectives of this study are to derive a prognostic model for BA and to develop a risk-scoring system that informs disposition decisions of children who present to emergency departments (ED) with anaphylaxis.Methods and analysisThis prospective multicentre cohort stud...
The novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely impacted the training of h... more The novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely impacted the training of health care professional students because of concerns of potential asymptomatic transmission to colleagues and vulnerable patients. From May 27th, 2020, to June 23rd 2021; at a time when B.1.1.7 (alpha) and B.1.617.2 (delta) were the dominant circulating variants, PCR testing was conducted on 1,237 nasopharyngeal swabs collected from 457 asymptomatic health care professional students as they returned to their studies from across Canada to Kingston, ON, a low prevalence area during that period for COVID-19. Despite 46.7% of COVID-19 infections occurring in the 18–29 age group in Kingston, severe-acute-respiratory coronavirus-2 was not detected in any of the samples suggesting that negligible asymptomatic infection occurred in this group and that PCR testing in this setting may not be warranted as a screening tool.
Additional file 1: Table S1. Change from baseline in Total Symptom Score (TSS) in loratadine and ... more Additional file 1: Table S1. Change from baseline in Total Symptom Score (TSS) in loratadine and placebo groups.
Patients with asthma frequently over rely on short-acting beta-agonists (SABA) to treat acute sym... more Patients with asthma frequently over rely on short-acting beta-agonists (SABA) to treat acute symptoms. This can adversely impact quality of life and increase the risk of exacerbations. SABA overuse is also associated with an increased risk of mortality. In their 2021 update on the diagnosis and management of mild asthma, the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) newly recommended that a combination inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long-acting beta-agonist, specifically budesonide/formoterol, may be used as-needed (PRN) as an alternative reliever to SABA. The CTS developed an algorithm as a guide for deciding for whom PRN budesonide/formoterol versus PRN SABA is appropriate as a reliever. While the CTS algorithm provides necessary and precise guidance, the somewhat complicated requirements for determining control and exacerbation risk may still end up leaving some patients at-risk of SABA overreliance. This communication simplifies the reliever decision algorithm developed by the CTS for ...
The prevalence of cat allergen-induced AR is increasing worldwide, prompting its study using cont... more The prevalence of cat allergen-induced AR is increasing worldwide, prompting its study using controlled methodology. Three general categories of allergen exposure models currently exist for the study of cat allergen-induced AR: natural exposure cat rooms, allergen exposure chambers (AEC), and nasal allergen challenges (NAC). We evaluated existing literature surrounding the use of these models to study cat allergen induced AR using online research databases, including OVID Medline, Embase, and Web of Science. We report that natural exposure cat rooms have been important in establishing the foundation for our understanding of cat allergen-induced AR. Major limitations, including variable allergen ranges and differing study designs highlight the need for a more standardized protocol. In comparison, AECs are an exceptional model to mimic real-world allergen exposure and study long-term implications of AR with large sample sizes. Existing AECs are limited by heterogeneous facility design...
Background The Allergy Patient Identification for Immunotherapy (AsPIRe) program was a parallel p... more Background The Allergy Patient Identification for Immunotherapy (AsPIRe) program was a parallel physician and patient survey. The objectives were to examine physician and patient perceptions of seasonal allergy symptoms and their impact on patients, and to examine patient and physician attitudes to allergen immunotherapy (AIT) for seasonal allergies. AsPIRe was led by a steering committee and received research ethics board clearance from Queen’s University. Methods Allergists (17) from across Canada enrolled in the AsPIRe program and completed an on-line survey to collect demographic information and baseline perceptions. Allergists then recruited patients and completed paper-based parallel physician and patient questionnaires. Patients received an AIT informational booklet with their questionnaire. Patients who were AIT-naïve with no contraindication to AIT and 12 years of age and older met the inclusion criteria. Results The survey was in field from February 2018 to June 2018. A to...
Allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology : official journal of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2018
Allergen-specific immunotherapy is a potentially disease-modifying therapy that is effective for ... more Allergen-specific immunotherapy is a potentially disease-modifying therapy that is effective for the treatment of allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis, allergic asthma and stinging insect hypersensitivity. However, despite its proven efficacy in these conditions, it is frequently underutilized in Canada. The decision to proceed with allergen-specific immunotherapy should be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account individual patient factors, such as the degree to which symptoms can be reduced by avoidance measures and pharmacological therapy, the amount and type of medication required to control symptoms, the adverse effects of pharmacological treatment, and patient preferences. Since this form of therapy carries a risk of anaphylactic reactions, it should only be prescribed by physicians who are adequately trained in the treatment of allergic conditions. Furthermore, for subcutaneous therapy, injections must be given under medical supervision in clinics that are equipped to ma...
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