Ayse Senay SASİHUSEYİNOGLU, Dilek DOĞRUEL, Derya UFUK ALTINTAŞ

Frequency of adverse reactions after subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy in children

Objective: Subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy (SCIT)is an effective treatment method for allergic rhinitis,asthma and venom allergy. The aim of this study was toevaluate the frequency of adverse reactions in childrenundergoing SCIT.Methods: This retrospective study included patients thatunderwent SCIT in our clinic for a period of five years dueto a diagnosis of Apis mellifera venom allergy or allergic asthma and/or rhinitis. 303 patients were divided intogroups based on the form of SCIT administered and thepresence of injection-related reactions.Results: Mean age at the initiation of SCIT was 10 (range,5-18) years old. SCIT for aeroallergens was administeredto 289 (95.4%) patients and SCIT for venom to 14 (4.6%)patients. Local reactions were observed in 54 (17.8%) andsystemic reactions developed in 4 (1.3%) patients. The local reactions mostly occurred after SCIT with Apis mellifera venom (100%), followed by house dust mite (20.6%),mold (16.7%) and grass pollen (16.7%).Conclusion: Although SCIT is a safe treatment methodused for allergic diseases, it must be administered only incenters with appropriate emergency equipment due tothe risk of side effects.

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