scholarly journals Chronic Urticaria: Indian Context—Challenges and Treatment Options

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sujoy Khan ◽  
Anirban Maitra ◽  
Pravin Hissaria ◽  
Sitesh Roy ◽  
Mahesh Padukudru Anand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Chronic Urticaria ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Multidisciplinary Management ◽  
Common Condition ◽  
Indian Context ◽  
Long Acting ◽  
Pressure Urticaria

Urticaria is a common condition that occurs in both children and adults. Most cases have no specific allergic trigger and the aetiology of urticaria remains idiopathic and occasionally spontaneous in nature. Inappropriate advice such as avoidance of foods (milk, egg, prawn, and brinjal) is common place in certain sections of India mostly by nonspecialists that should not be routinely recommended. It is important to look for physical urticarias such as pressure urticaria in chronic cases, which may be present either alone or in combination with other causes. Autoimmune causes for chronic urticaria have been found to play an important role in a significant proportion of patients. Long-acting nonsedating antihistamines at higher than the standard doses is safe and effective. Quality of life is affected adversely in patients with chronic symptomatic urticaria and some may require multidisciplinary management.

scholarly journals New treatment options of chronic urticaria

2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 266-272
Author(s):  
Bernadett Hidvégi ◽  
◽  
Lilla Mihályi
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Chronic Urticaria ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Multifactorial Disease ◽  
2Nd Generation ◽  
New Treatment

Chronic urticaria is a multifactorial disease with increasing prevalence, that significantly deteriorates the quality of life of patients. Authors describe the pathomechanism of the disease, and they present the currently available treatment options and the promising future therapies as well. The therapeutic basis of chronic urticaria is the modern, 2nd generation antihistamines in a dosage of even four times higher than the regular one. In therapy resistant cases omalizumab or cyclosporin is advised. There is a growing demand for new medications because the number of those patients , who are non-responders or do not respond adequately to these therapies, is definitely increasing.

scholarly journals A CASE REPORT ON OPEN PORES

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 3183-3186
Author(s):  
Nabeela Sultan ◽  
Shagufta Aleem
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Case Report ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Acne Vulgaris ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Facial Skin ◽  
Common Condition ◽  
Radiofrequency Therapy ◽  
Points Of View

Enlarged pores of facial skin always remain a matter of concern from both dermatologic and cosmetologic points of view. There were many conditions that are difficult to treat in which facial pores enlarge among them most common condition is acne vulgaris. This condition put a negative impact on a person’s quality of life and as well as also socially devastating for many individuals as it affects the physical appearance of a person. Although enlarged pores are not of medical concern it is considered as a more cosmetic con- cern. There are many available possible treatment options for enlarged pores but this case report is based on clinical evaluation of radiofrequency therapy in treating enlarged skin pores. In this report, three ses- sions of therapy every week for 3 weeks were applied. The results show a gradual decrease in the size of pores with almost clear skin. Keywords: acne vulgaris, enlarged pores, facial pores, radiofrequency

scholarly journals The effect of switching from oral low-dose aripiprazole to aripiprazole once-monthly 300 mg on the quality of life in three patients with schizophrenia

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 2050313X1771059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hidenobu Suzuki ◽  
Hiroyuki Hibino ◽  
Yuichi Inoue ◽  
Hideo Matsumoto ◽  
Katsunaka Mikami
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Term Treatment ◽  
Long Term Treatment ◽  
Important Barrier ◽  
Long Acting

Background: Schizophrenia is a chronic disease that requires long-term management with antipsychotics; however, an important barrier to the success of long-term treatment is drug noncompliance, which increases the risk of recurrence and hospitalization. Second-generation long-acting injectable antipsychotics have improved drug adherence, and the pharmacological effects of the drugs, and therefore, have become useful treatment options. Methods: We report on three schizophrenia patients who switched from oral low-dose aripiprazole to aripiprazole once-monthly 300 mg. We examined the efficacy and safety of aripiprazole once-monthly 300 mg, as well as its influence on quality of life, from baseline to 20 weeks after aripiprazole once-monthly 300 mg treatment. Results: Aripiprazole once-monthly 300 mg did not exacerbate the depressive and negative symptoms, and extrapyramidal symptoms were improved, which may have helped improve the quality of life. Conclusion: The results suggest the efficacy of aripiprazole once-monthly 300 mg in maintenance treatment for schizophrenia when mental symptoms are stable.

scholarly journals Chronic urticaria in the real-life clinical practice setting in Portugal: 2-years results from the non-interventional multicenter AWARE study

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Célia Costa ◽  
Isabel Rosmaninho ◽  
On behalf of the AWARE Portuguese Study Investigational Group
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Chronic Urticaria ◽  
Symptom Relief ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Real Life ◽  
The Real ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Quality Of Life Index ◽  
Urticaria Activity Score

Introduction: Information regarding chronic urticaria patients in the real-world setting is scarce. This analysis reports the two-year results of Portuguese patients included in the AWARE study.Material and Methods: Non-interventional cohort study. Adult patients with a diagnosis of chronic urticaria with symptoms for at least two months, refractory to H1-antihistamines, consulting one of the 10 participating urticaria centers throughout Portugal, from the 31st October 2014 to 31st July 2015, have been included in the study. Clinical parameters, medicines taken for urticaria symptom relief, weekly urticaria activity score, and dermatology quality of life index have been collected throughout the two years of the study.Results: Seventy-six patients were enrolled in the study. Results showed that the proportion of patients with omalizumab therapy almost duplicated after two years of the AWARE study, which was accompanied by the decrease of medical resources use and absenteeism. Moreover, urticaria severity and impact on quality of life both decreased after one year and continued to decrease at two years, although decreased severity was significant at both time points and quality of life was only significant at two years. At the end of two years, 79.0% of patients had their disease controlled compared to 29.3% at baseline (p < 0.001).Discussion: At the end of the AWARE study a significant proportion of patients had their disease controlled allowing for decreased use of medical resources.Conclusion: Chronic urticaria still has a significant impact on quality of life and therefore there is opportunity for further therapy optimization.

Raynaud’s phenomenon and digital ischaemia - pharmacologic approach and alternative treatment options

VASA ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit Linnemann ◽  
Matthias Erbe
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Angiotensin Receptor Blockers ◽  
Raynaud’S Phenomenon ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Raynaud's Phenomenon ◽  
Tissue Loss ◽  
Receptor Antagonists ◽  
Skin Ulcers ◽  
Digital Ischaemia

Abstract. The primary goal of therapy is to reduce the frequency and intensity of Raynaud’s attacks and to minimize the related morbidity rather than to cure the underlying condition. Treatment strategies depend on whether Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) is primary or secondary. All patients should be instructed about general measures to maintain body warmth and to avoid triggers of RP attacks. Pharmacologic intervention can be useful for patients with severe and frequent RP episodes that impair the patient’s quality of life. Calcium channel blockers are currently the most prescribed and studied medications for this purpose. There has been limited evidence for the efficacy of alpha-1-adrenergic receptor antagonists, angiotensin receptor blockers, topical nitrates or fluoxetine to treat RP. The intravenously administered prostacyclin analogue iloprost can reduce the frequency and severity of RP attacks and is considered a second-line therapy in patients with markedly impaired quality of life, critical digital ischaemia and skin ulcers who are at risk for substantial tissue loss and amputation. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors (e.g., sildenafil) can also improve RP symptoms and ulcer healing whereas endothelin-1 receptor antagonists (e.g., bosentan) are mainly considered treatment options in secondary prevention for patients with digital skin ulcers related to systemic sclerosis. However, their use in clinical practice has been limited by their high cost. Antiplatelet therapy with low-dose aspirin is recommended for all patients who suffer from secondary RP due to ischaemia caused by structural vessel damage. Anticoagulant therapy can be considered during the acute phase of digital ischaemia in patients with suspected vascular occlusive disease attributed to the occurrence of new thromboses. In patients with critical digital ischaemia, consideration should be given to hospitalisation, optimisation of medical treatment in accordance with the underlying disease and evaluation for a secondary, possibly reversible process that is causing or aggravating the clinical symptoms.

scholarly journals TNF-Alpha Inhibitors for Chronic Urticaria: Experience in 20 Patients

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Freja Lærke Sand ◽  
Simon Francis Thomsen
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Chronic Urticaria ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Response Duration ◽  
Immunosuppressive Drugs ◽  
Tnf Alpha ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Duration Of Treatment ◽  
Durable Response

Patients with severe chronic urticaria may not respond to antihistamines, and other systemic treatment options may either be ineffective or associated with unacceptable side effects. We present data on efficacy and safety of adalimumab and etanercept in 20 adult patients with chronic urticaria. Twelve (60%) patients obtained complete or almost complete resolution of urticaria after onset of therapy with either adalimumab or etanercept. Further three patients (15%) experienced partial response. Duration of treatment ranged between 2 and 39 months. Those responding completely or almost completely had a durable response with a mean of 11 months. Six patients (30%) experienced side effects and five patients had mild recurrent upper respiratory infections, whereas one patient experienced severe CNS toxicity that could be related to treatment with TNF-alpha inhibitor. Adalimumab and etanercept may be effective and relatively safe treatment options in a significant proportion of patients with chronic urticaria who do not respond sufficiently to high-dose antihistamines or in whom standard immunosuppressive drugs are ineffective or associated with unacceptable side effects.

scholarly journals Development of a Multidisciplinary Aerodigestive Program: An Institutional Experience

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 535
Author(s):  
Seung Kim ◽  
Mireu Park ◽  
Eunyoung Kim ◽  
Ga Eun Kim ◽  
Jae Hwa Jung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Chart Review ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Multidisciplinary Management ◽  
Neurologic Disease ◽  
Institutional Experience ◽  
Swallowing Difficulty ◽  
The Common ◽  
Chronic Comorbidities

We share our experience on the implementation of a multidisciplinary aerodigestive program comprising an aerodigestive team (ADT) so as to evaluate its feasibility. We performed a retrospective chart review of the patients discussed at the monthly ADT meetings and analyzed the data. A total of 98 children were referred to the ADT during the study period. The number of cases increased steadily from 3.5 cases per month in 2019 to 8.5 cases per month in 2020. The median age of patients was 34.5 months, and 55% were male. Among the chronic comorbidities, neurologic disease was the most common (85%), followed by respiratory (36%) and cardiac (13%) disorders. The common reasons for consultation were suspected aspiration (56%), respiratory difficulty (44%), drooling/stertor (30%), regurgitation/vomiting (18%), and feeding/swallowing difficulty (17%). Following discussions, 58 patients received active interventions, including fundoplication, gastrostomy, laryngomicrosurgery, tracheostomy, and primary dilatation of the airway. According to the questionnaire of the caregiver, the majority agreed that the main symptoms and quality of life of patients had improved (88%), reducing the burden on caregivers (77%). Aerodigestive programs may provide comprehensive and multidisciplinary management for children with complex airway and digestive tract disorders.

scholarly journals Intestinal barrier dysfunction in irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 175628482199358
Author(s):  
Nikita Hanning ◽  
Adam L. Edwinson ◽  
Hannah Ceuleers ◽  
Stephanie A. Peters ◽  
Joris G. De Man ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Irritable Bowel Syndrome ◽  
Abdominal Pain ◽  
Barrier Function ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Barrier Dysfunction ◽  
Irritable Bowel

Background and Aim: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a complex and heterogeneous disorder. Sensory, motor and barrier dysfunctions are the key physiological endophenotypes of IBS. Our aim is to review studies evaluating barrier dysfunction in adults and children with IBS, as well as to link those changes with IBS symptomatology and quality of life. Methods: A comprehensive and systematic review of multiple databases was performed up to March 2020 to identify studies comparing intestinal permeability in IBS patients with healthy controls. Both in vivo and in vitro studies were considered. Results: We identified 66 studies, of which 27 used intestinal probes to quantify barrier function. The prevalence of barrier dysfunction differed between PI-IBS (17–50%), IBS-D (37–62%) and IBS-C (4–25%). At a group level, permeability was increased compared with healthy controls in IBS-D (9/13 studies) and PI-IBS (4/4 studies), but only a minority of IBS-C (2/7 studies) and not in the only IBS-M study. All four studies in children with IBS demonstrated loss of barrier function. A heterogeneous set of tight junction genes were found to be altered in small and large intestines of adults with IBS, but these have not been evaluated in children. Positive associations were identified between barrier dysfunction and bowel disturbances (6/9 studies), abdominal pain (9/13 studies), overall symptom severity (1/6 studies), depression and anxiety (1/1 study) and quality of life (1/4 studies). Fecal slurry or supernatants of IBS patients were found to induce barrier disruption in animal models (5/6 studies). Conclusions: Barrier dysfunction is present in a significant proportion of adult and all pediatric IBS studies, especially in the IBS-D and PI-IBS subtype. The majority of studies indicated a positive association between loss of barrier function and symptoms such as abdominal pain and changes in the bowel function.

scholarly journals MP-AzeFlu in Moderate-to-Severe Allergic Rhinitis: A Literature Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Ludger Klimek ◽  
William E. Berger ◽  
Jean Bousquet ◽  
Paul K. Keith ◽  
Peter Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Allergic Rhinitis ◽  
Fluticasone Propionate ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Symptomatic Disease ◽  
Intranasal Corticosteroids ◽  
Need For Treatment ◽  
Ocular Symptoms ◽  
Symptom Complex

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is prevalent, and many patients present with moderate-to-severe symptomatic disease. The majority of patients are not satisfied with their AR treatment, despite the use of concurrent medications. These gaps underscore the need for treatment with more effective options for moderate-to-severe AR. The authors’ objective was to review systematically the efficacy and safety of MP-AzeFlu for the treatment of AR. The primary outcomes studied were nasal, ocular, and total symptoms. Other outcomes included time to onset and of AR control, quality of life, and safety. Searches of PubMed and Cochrane databases were conducted on May 14, 2020, with no date restrictions, to identify publications reporting data on MP-AzeFlu. Clinical studies of any phase were included. Studies were excluded if they were not in English, were review articles, did not discuss the safety and efficacy of MP-AzeFlu for AR symptoms. Treatment of AR with MP-AzeFlu results in effective, sustained relief of nasal and ocular symptoms, and faster onset and time to control compared with intranasal azelastine or fluticasone propionate. Long-term use of MP-AzeFlu was safe, with benefits in children, adults, and adults aged ≥65 years. Other treatment options, including fluticasone propionate and azelastine alone or the combination of intranasal corticosteroids and oral antihistamine, do not provide the same level of efficacy as MP-AzeFlu in terms of rapid and sustained relief of the entire AR symptom complex. Furthermore, MP-AzeFlu significantly improves patient quality of life. MP-AzeFlu is a currently available combination that may satisfy all these patient needs and expectations.

scholarly journals Quality of Life in Opioid Replacement Therapy: A Naturalistic Cross-Sectional Comparison of Methadone/Levomethadone, Buprenorphine, and Diamorphine Patients

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Stephanie Paula Elisabeth Guillery ◽  
Rainer Hellweg ◽  
Golo Kronenberg ◽  
Ulrich Bohr ◽  
Hagen Kunte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Replacement Therapy ◽  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Chronically Ill ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Life Improvement ◽  
Methadone Patients ◽  
Opioid Replacement Therapy

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Research on quality of life (QoL) of chronically ill patients provides an opportunity to evaluate the efficacy of long-term treatments. Although it is established that opioid replacement therapy is an effective treatment for opioid-dependent patients, there is little knowledge about physical and psychological functioning of QoL for different treatment options. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> Altogether, 248 opioid-dependent patients receiving substitution treatment with either methadone/levomethadone (<i>n</i> = 126), diamorphine (<i>n</i> = 85), or buprenorphine (<i>n</i> = 37) were recruited in 6 German therapy centers. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Sociodemographic data were collected. QoL – physical and psychological functioning – for different substitutes was assessed using the <i>Profile of the Quality of Life in the Chronically Ill</i> (PLC) questionnaire. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Patient groups were similar regarding age and duration of opioid dependence. Employment rate was significantly higher (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.005, φ = 0.22) in the buprenorphine group (46%) compared to methadone (18%). Dosage adjustments were more frequent (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001, φ = 0.29) in diamorphine (55%) than in methadone (30%) or buprenorphine (19%) patients. Buprenorphine and diamorphine patients rated their physical functioning substantially higher than methadone patients (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001, η<sup>2</sup> = 0.141). Diamorphine patients reported a higher psychological functioning (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001, η<sup>2</sup> = 0.078) and overall life improvement (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001, η<sup>2</sup> = 0.060) compared to methadone, but not compared to buprenorphine patients (both <i>p</i> &#x3e; 0.25). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Measurement of important QoL aspects indicates significant differences for physical and psychological functioning in patients receiving the substitutes methadone/levomethadone, diamorphine, and buprenorphine. This could be relevant for the differential therapy of opioid addiction.

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