"Part of the reason that the majority of family physicians don't use the IgE test is that managed care guidelines generally don't call for this kind of test," Szeinbach said. "It needs to become a standard procedure for family doctors, as many people have these kinds of allergy symptoms."

She and her colleagues reported their findings on March 22 in San Antonio at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

The researchers collected questionnaires from 577 patients whose medical and prescription records showed a diagnosis of allergic rhinitis. Participants were asked about the severity and type of allergy symptoms they had, and whether or not they had seen a physician for treatment.

The researchers placed patient responses into one of three groups: patients who received care from a family physician (240); patients who were treated by an allergist (172); and those who chose to self-manage their symptoms (165).

While all groups had fairly high quality-of-life scores, people under the care of a family physician reported slightly more symptoms and a greater severity of those symptoms than did patients treated by an allergist and even those who self-managed their allergy symptoms after being diagnosed by a physician.

"Optimal quality-of-life outcomes are assured if allergists continue to perform skin tests and if family and primary care physicians can provide specific IgE blood testing," Szeinbach said. "For more severe cases, these doctors could refer patients to an allergist or other specialist."

Family doctors need a better way to accurately diagnose allergic rhinitis, as the symptoms are often similar to those found in asthma and rhinosinusitis, a condition where the sinuses and nasal passages become swollen and inflamed. But the treatment for each disorder is different

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Contact: Sheryl Szeinbach
zbach@dendrite.pharmacy.ohio-state.edu
614-688-4249
Ohio State University
22-Mar-2005