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International Journal of Dermatology Jun 2024
PubMed: 38940007
DOI: 10.1111/ijd.17358 -
Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North... Aug 2024Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) affects 0.5% to 1% of the general population and is often managed by allergy and immunology specialists. Guidelines have evolved over... (Review)
Review
Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) affects 0.5% to 1% of the general population and is often managed by allergy and immunology specialists. Guidelines have evolved over the past several decades with an emphasis on decreasing extensive screening laboratory testing as they are of low-yield and cost-ineffective. The utility of biomarkers remains under investigation but total immunoglobulin E may be helpful in determining specific endotypes and response to omalizumab. Antihistamines and omalizumab remain the primary therapeutic options for CSU, but an expanding body of evidence supports the use of immunosuppressants and anti-inflammatory medications in refractory cases.
Topics: Humans; Chronic Urticaria; Disease Management; Omalizumab; Biomarkers; Histamine Antagonists; Anti-Allergic Agents; Immunoglobulin E; Immunosuppressive Agents
PubMed: 38937012
DOI: 10.1016/j.iac.2024.03.007 -
Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North... Aug 2024This study focuses on quality of life (QoL) assessment in chronic urticaria, delving into tools, disease-specific measures, and its profound impact. With expanding... (Review)
Review
This study focuses on quality of life (QoL) assessment in chronic urticaria, delving into tools, disease-specific measures, and its profound impact. With expanding therapeutic options, understanding QoL becomes crucial. QoL measures often involve comparisons of patient-reported outcomes in addition to quantitative measures of disease control. Emerging tools include the Urticaria Activity and Impact Measure, which may provide a balanced evaluation. In addition to discussions of the various QoL measures, the psychological impact of chronic urticaria are highlighted, covering emotional burden, stress, and psychiatric comorbidities. Finally, the economic impacts reveal escalating health care costs and cost-effectiveness considerations of therapies like omalizumab.
Topics: Humans; Quality of Life; Chronic Urticaria; Cost of Illness; Health Care Costs; Omalizumab; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Patient Reported Outcome Measures
PubMed: 38937009
DOI: 10.1016/j.iac.2024.03.004 -
Military Medicine Jun 2024Delayed pressure urticaria (DPU) is a subset of chronic inducible urticaria. It is characterized by the formation of wheals anytime between 30 minutes and 24 hours after...
Delayed pressure urticaria (DPU) is a subset of chronic inducible urticaria. It is characterized by the formation of wheals anytime between 30 minutes and 24 hours after stimulus exposure of localized pressure application. In this case report, we discuss a military flight crew member with no significant past medical history who developed DPU following rapid decompression in an altitude chamber. The chamber training included an uneventful ascent to 45,000 feet, higher than he had been previously, and a rapid decompression. About 16 hours later, he developed pruritic swelling of his hands and feet, along with diffuse deep nodular swelling, erythematous plaques, and erythematous nodules. His DPU was refractory to monotherapy treatment with antihistamines, and he continued to develop lesions in weight-bearing areas. Control of symptoms was achieved through combination treatment of a second-generation antihistamine, a leukotriene receptor antagonist, and an immunosuppressant (cyclosporine). His waiver to return to flight status was denied while on cyclosporine. He was transitioned to a monoclonal antibody that binds free immunoglobin E (omalizumab) with resolution of symptoms and was cleared to return to active duty.
PubMed: 38935415
DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usae333 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Jun 2024Severe asthma often remains uncontrolled despite optimized inhaled treatment. The rise of biologic therapy in severe asthma represented a major advance for the disease...
Severe asthma often remains uncontrolled despite optimized inhaled treatment. The rise of biologic therapy in severe asthma represented a major advance for the disease management. However, correct phenotyping and monitoring of severe asthma patients is key to the success of targeted biologic therapy. We present the case of a 63-year-old female, never a smoker, diagnosed with asthma at the age of 45 and associated persistent mild rhinitis, without other notable comorbidities. She was prescribed medium-dose ICS/LABA, administered inconstantly in the first years after the diagnosis, with poor overall control of the disease. After several exacerbation episodes, treatment compliance improved, but the control of the disease remained poor despite adding an antileukotriene. In January 2019, she presented an exacerbation episode requiring treatment with oral corticosteroids (OCS) and she was afterwards put on high-dose ICS/LABA and continued the antileukotriene. She was referred for a skin allergy test, which revealed mild sensitization to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and farinae, with a total IgE level of 48.3 IU/mL. The blood eosinophil level was 270 cells/mm. The lung function was variable, going from mild impairment to severe fixed obstruction during exacerbations. Despite optimized inhaled treatment, good adherence and inhaler technique, and allergen avoidance strategies, asthma control was not achieved, and she continued to experience severe episodes of exacerbation requiring OCS. In October 2019, she was initiated on biologic therapy with omalizumab, which allowed asthma control to be achieved and maintained for 18 months, with preserved lung function, good symptom control, no exacerbations and slightly elevated blood eosinophil level (340-360 cells/mm). In April 2021, she started experiencing exacerbation episodes requiring OCS (three episodes within 6 months), with a progressive increase in blood eosinophil level (up to 710 cells/mm), and progressive deterioration of asthma control and lung function, despite continuation of previous therapy. A specific IgE test against Aspergillus was negative, and total IgE level was 122.4 IU/mL. In December 2021, the patient was switched from omalizumab to benralizumab. Asthma control was again achieved, lung function improved significantly and the patient did not experience any other exacerbation episodes up until today, which allowed for a reduction in ICS dose. Intriguingly, a relapsing eosinophilia was also noted under anti-IL5-R treatment prior to the dose administration, but with preserved asthma control. This case underscores the pivotal role of meticulous phenotyping in severe asthma management on one side, and careful monitoring of patient evolution and possible side effects of treatment on the other side. By showcasing how diverse inflammatory pathways can coexist within a single patient and impact treatment outcomes, it highlights the necessity of tailored biologic therapy for sustained control.
PubMed: 38929930
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13123402 -
Journal of Personalized Medicine May 2024ChatGPT is an advanced language model developed by OpenAI, designed for natural language understanding and generation. It employs deep learning technology to comprehend...
ChatGPT is an advanced language model developed by OpenAI, designed for natural language understanding and generation. It employs deep learning technology to comprehend and generate human-like text, making it versatile for various applications. The aim of this study is to assess the alignment between the Rhinology Board's indications and ChatGPT's recommendations for treating patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) using biologic therapy. An observational cohort study involving 72 patients was conducted to evaluate various parameters of type 2 inflammation and assess the concordance in therapy choices between ChatGPT and the Rhinology Board. The observed results highlight the potential of Chat-GPT in guiding optimal biological therapy selection, with a concordance percentage = 68% and a Kappa coefficient = 0.69 (CI95% [0.50; 0.75]). In particular, the concordance was, respectively, 79.6% for dupilumab, 20% for mepolizumab, and 0% for omalizumab. This research represents a significant advancement in managing CRSwNP, addressing a condition lacking robust biomarkers. It provides valuable insights into the potential of AI, specifically ChatGPT, to assist otolaryngologists in determining the optimal biological therapy for personalized patient care. Our results demonstrate the need to implement the use of this tool to effectively aid clinicians.
PubMed: 38929784
DOI: 10.3390/jpm14060563 -
European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy :... Jun 2024In the Danish healthcare system, restructuring is an ongoing process to accommodate the rising number of patients and to optimise resource allocation. To ease...
OBJECTIVES
In the Danish healthcare system, restructuring is an ongoing process to accommodate the rising number of patients and to optimise resource allocation. To ease departmental burdens at hospitals in the North Denmark Region, outpatients are empowered to collect their cost-free medicines from medication pick-up lockers. The lockers function similarly to a package box, thereby enhancing patient freedom. Due to lack of evidence within the published literature regarding cost-free medicines and medicine waste, the aim of our study was to identify the common medications delivered to medicine pick-up lockers and secondly, to evaluate potential medicine waste.
METHODS
Data from ApoVision provided insights into medications delivered to medicine pick-up lockers from March to October 2023 in the North Denmark Region. To estimate unused medicines we obtained data on the number of medications returned from medicine pick-up lockers.
RESULTS
From 2020 to 2023, the number of patients receiving cost-free medicines at medication pick-up lockers increased. In total, approximately 30 000 packages of medicine were delivered to medicine pick-up lockers from March to October 2023 in the North Denmark Region; 1.7% were returned. Methotrexate, adalimumab, and omalizumab were among the most common deliveries and were also the three most returned from the medicine pick-up lockers.
CONCLUSIONS
This study is an initial attempt to investigate potential medicine waste in cost-free medicines dispensed to outpatients via pick-up lockers. Antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents were the most common medicines delivered to medication pick-up lockers in the North Denmark Region from March to October 2023. In this period, approximately 2% of all delivered medicine packages were returned to the hospital pharmacy. Our analysis solely focuses on waste associated with medications left uncollected from medicine pick-up lockers. Addressing the impact of medicine waste in a hospital setting requires a comprehensive approach, thus future studies should also focus on other sites relevant for medication waste as, for example, the patient's household.
PubMed: 38925908
DOI: 10.1136/ejhpharm-2024-004224 -
Actas Dermo-sifiliograficas Jun 2024
PubMed: 38925450
DOI: 10.1016/j.ad.2023.04.049 -
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical... Jun 2024Omalizumab is a newly FDA approved anti-IgE therapy for allergen agnostic treatment of single or multiple food allergies in patients ages >1 year.
BACKGROUND
Omalizumab is a newly FDA approved anti-IgE therapy for allergen agnostic treatment of single or multiple food allergies in patients ages >1 year.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluate the cost-effectiveness of omalizumab as a food allergy treatment.
METHODS
Health and economic outcomes were evaluated in Markov cohorts of simulated food allergic infants randomized to receive omalizumab using a 15-year time horizon. Monte Carlo simulation was used (n=40,000 subjects) to evaluate cost-effectiveness from a societal perspective, incorporating both a family-level and individual-level analysis. Family-level analysis was included to incorporate broad perspective for health utility change, given treatment effects likely benefit all parties at home (e.g., caregivers, siblings, spouses), not just the patient, representing the sum of changes in all such persons. Supplemental analyses explored lower omalizumab cost and home initiation. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.
RESULTS
In the family-level cohort analysis, omalizumab exceeded cost-effectiveness thresholds ($185,183/QALY). Comparing the omalizumab strategy (OMA) to the non-omalizumab strategy (NOMA), the cost of OMA exceeded NOMA ($315,020 vs $136,609) with greater incremental effectiveness (12.668 QALY vs 11.699 QALY). In the individual-level analysis, the cost-effectiveness of OMA was $573,698/QALY. In base-case assessments, OMA was cost-effective (WTP, $100,000/QALY) at a health state utility improvement of 0.265. OMA's value-based cost ranged from $14,166-$23,791 when considered at the individual and family-unit levels. Requiring OMA administration in-clinic was not cost-effective (ICER, $260,239).
CONCLUSIONS
In the base-case and at current pricing, omalizumab is not cost-effective, but could be at a lower retail price or if use creates large health utility shifts in the family and patient.
PubMed: 38925250
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2024.06.023 -
International Forum of Allergy &... Jun 2024CRSwNP-specific mean total annual spending ranged from $5,837 (EDS-FLU) to $28,058 (dupilumab). Most CRSwNP patients receiving biologics had comorbid asthma and did not...
CRSwNP-specific mean total annual spending ranged from $5,837 (EDS-FLU) to $28,058 (dupilumab). Most CRSwNP patients receiving biologics had comorbid asthma and did not undergo sinus surgery. While biologics were covered by most Medicare Part D plans, only 37% of plans covered EDS-FLU.
PubMed: 38923795
DOI: 10.1002/alr.23362