Patients' Perspective on H1-Antihistamine Up-Dosing in Chronic Urticaria
Author Information
Author(s): Karsten Weller, Claudia Ziege, Petra Staubach, Knut Brockow, Frank Siebenhaar, Karoline Krause, Sabine Altrichter, Martin K. Church, Marcus Maurer
Primary Institution: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Hypothesis
What is the effectiveness and side effects of H1-antihistamines from the patients' perspective?
Conclusion
Patients believe that second generation antihistamines are more effective and cause fewer side effects than first generation antihistamines.
Supporting Evidence
- 75% of patients reported increasing their antihistamine dosage for better symptom control.
- Patients rated second generation antihistamines as significantly more effective than first generation drugs.
- First generation antihistamines were associated with more unwanted effects and sedation.
Takeaway
This study shows that many patients with chronic hives feel better when they take more antihistamines than usual, and that newer antihistamines are better than older ones.
Methodology
A questionnaire-based retrospective survey was conducted with 368 individuals, of whom 319 had a physician-confirmed diagnosis of chronic spontaneous urticaria.
Potential Biases
Selection bias may be present due to the method of patient recruitment.
Limitations
Recall bias may affect the reliability of patient-reported data, and co-morbidities could not be included in the analysis due to cohort size.
Participant Demographics
319 respondents (248 female, 71 male) with a median age of 42 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.005
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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