Authors

Carmen Campos Rivas, Carolina Domingo López, Yolanda García Estríngana, Ana Belén Yebra Ludeña

Position

Diplomadas en Enfermería. Unidad de Alergia de la Fundación Hospital Alcorcón, Madrid.

Contact address

Fundación Hospital Alcorcón. Consulta de Alergia. Avenida Budapest, s/n.

Contact email: sporavia@sporavia.com

Abstract

Objective: to analyse patient knowledge regarding immunotherapy with pneumoallergens (IT) as recommended
by the Spanish Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC).
Material and methods: a cut-descriptive study of patients that came consecutively to the Allergy Unit of the Hospital Alcorcón Foundation to have IT administered from february to april 2006.
Data were collected using a structured questionnaire with closed questions.
Results: 134 questionnaires were filled out. 96,3% of patients were informed prior to receiving treatment; only 41% were informed by the doctor. 21,6% indicated the conditions prior to the administration of the IT correctly and 61,6% the conditions following the administration of IT. The most common recommendations were: no flu symptoms (70,9%) and to remain under observation for 30 minutes (97%) respectively.
51,5% identified the alerting symptoms to be reported to the nurse before leaving the health centre. Symptoms most frequently identified were: urticaria (94%) and breathing difficulty (97%).
In the event of a late reaction, 56,7% knew what to do.
Patients who had been on treatment for less than a year were observed to have a higher rate of correct answers in the four sections evaluated in the questionnaire.
Conclusions: informing the patient prior to the administration of IT is a common practice in our unit. However, it is necessary to improve the involvement of the nurse.
Situations involving greater risk are the best identified by patients.

Versión en Español

Título:

Manejo de la inmunoterapia con neumoalergenos. ¿Qué conocen los pacientes?