Background:

Subcutaneous immunotherapy with aeroallergen (SCITA) was stopped in some departments during the lockdown period due to the COVID‑19 pandemic.

Objectives:

To evaluate the impact of SCITA interruption on symptoms, the need for control medication, the quality of life, and the expectations and degree of safety / fear of patients on returning to the hospital.

Methods:

Self‑completion of an anonymous survey for patients over 12 years in the first 5 weeks of SCITA restart. CARAT was used as an instrument to assess rhinitis and asthma control.

Results:

77 patients (90% adults, 68% women) were included, all with rhinitis and 40% with asthma. The average time interval between the last administration and the restart of SCITA was 13 ± 2.48 weeks. Seven percent of patients were seen in an emergency/unscheduled appointment due to the exacerbation of respiratory symptoms and only 1 had COVID‑19. CARAT‑Total scores showed control of rhinitis and asthma, respectively, in 35% and 66% patients. The proportion of uncontrolled patients rised with the increase in the SCITA interruption period (IP). The majority (> 90%) of patients reported no significant impact on their quality of life and maintained the usual control medication (48%), expressed concern about losing the benefits of SCITA with its interruption (62%) and reported feeling safer in the vaccination offices compared to the hospital building or waiting room.

Conclusions:

An increase in the frequency of uncontrolled patients with an increase in IP was observed. For most patients, the IP did not have a significant impact on quality of life. The frequency of patients who needed to be observed in an emergency / unscheduled appointment was low and only 1 reported having had COVID‑19. The perception of safety in the vaccination room is higher than in the hospital’s common spaces.

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