Allergy, Asthma and Immunology: Knowledge of Their Own Allergic Sensitizations in Asthmatic Patients and Its Impact on the Level of Asthma Control

2013 Jul;49(7):289-96. doi: 10.1016/j.arbres.2013.02.004.

Àlex Roger^a^,

, Rosa Vázquez^b, Carlos Almonacid^c, Alicia Padilla^d, José Serrano^e, Mercedes García-Salmones^f, Fernando Molina^g, Celia Pinedo^h, Montserrat Torrejónⁱ, César Picado^j, Antolín López-Viña^k, Vicente Plazaⁱ

^a Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Sant Joan Despí Moisès Broggi, Sant Joan Despí, Barcelona, Spain
^b Unidad de Neumología, Hospital Infanta Elena, Huelva, Spain
^c Sección de Neumología, Hospital Universitario de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Spain
^d Unidad de Neumología, Hospital Costa del Sol, Marbella, Málaga, Spain
^e Unidad de Neumología, Hospital Comarcal de Inca, Inca, Mallorca, Islas Baleares, Spain
^f Unidad de Neumología, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
^g Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Modelo, A Coruña, Spain
^h Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
ⁱ Servicio de Neumología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
^j Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Clínic i Provincial, Barcelona, Spain
^k Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain

Keywords

Asthma. Asthma/prevention and control. Asthma/immunology. Allergy and immunology. Allergens/diagnostic use. Air pollutants/immunology. Skin tests. Environmental medicine. Health education.

Abstract

Background

Asthma guidelines recommend the adoption of allergen avoidance measures (AAM). To do so, patients need to know their own allergies. However, this degree of knowledge has not yet been assessed. The aims of this study were to determine, in allergic asthma patients: (i) the degree of knowledge of their own allergic sensitizations; (ii) the percentage of those who knew all their allergies and, in addition, adopted AAM against all of them, and (iii) the possible impact of this degree of knowledge on the level of asthma control.

Patients and methods

Descriptive, prospective and multicentre study, including 147 patients from 9 Respiratory Medicine outpatient clinics. After confirming the previous allergic asthma diagnosis, a questionnaire was completed. It included asthma control and severity levels, results of previous allergy tests, and the description and number of allergic sensitizations known by the patients and AAM followed.

Results

Only 72 (49%) patients knew all their allergic sensitizations and only 48 (33%) were also following AAM against all the allergens to which they were allergic. No relationship was established between the degree of knowledge of their own allergies and the level of asthma control (P=.544).

Conclusions

Overall knowledge about the allergic nature of their disease among asthmatic patients attending Spanish Respiratory Medicine Departments is inadequate. Furthermore, a higher degree of knowledge of their allergies does not seem to lead, by itself, to better asthma control. Both findings seem to question the effectiveness of current educational strategies in this field and consequently, and they should be revised.