Allergy
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Quality management is increasingly important in clinical practice. The Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA(2)LEN) is a network of clinical and scientific excellence with originally 25 allergy centres in 16 European countries, a scientific society (European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology), and a patient organization (European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Associations). Although some allergy centres adhere to internal quality criteria, the implementation of a standardized quality management system for allergy centres across Europe was lacking. ⋯ The establishment of a quality management system with joint standards of care and harmonized procedures can be achieved in an international health network and ensures quality of care.
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The common cold and allergic rhinitis constitute a global health problem that affects social life, sleep, school and work performance and is likely to impose a substantial economic burden on society because of absence from work and reduced working capacity. This study assesses the loss of productivity as a result of both allergic rhinitis and the common cold in the Swedish working population. ⋯ In Sweden, the cost of rhinitis is euro 2.7 billion a year in terms of lost productivity. A reduction in lost productivity of 1 day per individual and year would potentially save euro 528 million.
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Multicenter Study
National pholcodine consumption and prevalence of IgE-sensitization: a multicentre study.
The aim of this study was to test, on a multinational level, the pholcodine (PHO) hypothesis, i.e. that the consumption of PHO-containing cough mixtures could cause higher prevalence of IgE antibodies to PHO, morphine (MOR) and suxamethonium (SUX). As a consequence the risk of anaphylaxis to neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA) will be increased. ⋯ This international prevalence study lends additional support to the PHO hypothesis and, consequently, that continued use of drugs containing this substance should be seriously questioned. The results also indicate that other, yet unknown, substances may lead to IgE-sensitization towards NMBAs.
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Editorial Comment
Exhaled NO in asthma: still in touch or definitively out of bounds?