ALLERGEN-SPECIFIC IMMUNOTHERAPY IN CHILDREN. STANDARDIZING THE EFFICACY EVALUATION APPROACHES

Abstract

The article is concerned with the issue of a standardized approach to determining the effectiveness of allergen-specific therapy (AST) in children. AST has a special role in treating allergy: only this method can induce clinical and immunological tolerance to the cause-significant allergen; is safe enough and highly effective; reduces the duration of acute conditions; reduces the necessity for both basic therapy medicines and additional symptomatic therapy; is capable of preventing the progression of allergic diseases by reducing the sensibility spectre and the formation of bronchial asthma in those suffering from allegic rhinitis; improves the control over the disease and has a positive effect on the patient’s and his family quality of life. At the moment evaluating the effectiveness of medical technologies is one of the most important tasks in medicine while the effectiveness and safety of any medical intervention should be obtained in accordance with the requirements of evidence-based medicine. In order to determine the effectiveness of AST in children, a combined clinical and pharmaceutical evaluation should be performed and as a secons point — determine the patient’s life quality and also evaluate the gravity of symptoms according to the visual analogue scale, and to count the number of days with the symptoms and without them.

Keywords

• children
• allergic rhinitis
• allergic rhinoconjunctivitis
• allergen-specific immunotherapy
• evaluating the effectiveness of medical intervention
• standardized ast evaluation