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dc.contributor.authorKaminski, ER
dc.contributor.authorBethune, CA
dc.contributor.authorJones, Ray
dc.date.accessioned2017-03-29T09:03:13Z
dc.date.available2017-03-29T09:03:13Z
dc.date.issued2012-12
dc.identifier.issn1756-0500
dc.identifier.issn1756-0500
dc.identifier.other103
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/8728
dc.description.abstract

BACKGROUND: Currently in the United Kingdom (UK), there is a mismatch between limited financial resources and the large proportion of patients with suspected allergies actually being referred to specialist allergy clinics. To better understand the case mix of patients being referred, we audited referrals to a regional allergy service over an 8 year period.The main source of data was consultant letters to General Practitioners (GP) summarising the diagnosis of patients, archived from January 2002 to September 2009. Letters were reviewed, extracting the clinic date, doctor seen, gender, date of birth, postcode, GP, and diagnoses. Diagnoses were classified into seven groups and illustrative cases for each group noted. FINDINGS: Data from 2,028 new referrals with suspected allergy were analysed. The largest group of patients (43%) were diagnosed with a type I hypersensitivity. The other diagnostic groups were chronic idiopathic (spontaneous) urticaria (35%), suspected type I hypersensitivity but no allergen identified (8%), idiopathic (spontaneous) angioedema (8%), physical urticaria (2.5%), non-allergic symptoms (1.6%), type IV hypersensitivity (0.8%) and ACE inhibitor sensitivity (0.5%). Two thirds of patients seen were female with a higher percentage of female patients in the non type-I hypersensitivity group (71%) than the type 1 hypersensitivity (66%) (χ2 = 5.1, 1df, p = 0.024). The type 1 hypersensitivity patients were younger than other patients (38 Vs 46 years, t = -10.8, p < 0.001) CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the complexity of specialist allergy practice and the large proportion of patients referred with non-type I hypersensitivities, chronic idiopathic (spontaneous) urticaria being by far the largest group. Such information is critical to inform commissioning decisions, define referral pathways and in primary care education.

dc.format.extent103-
dc.format.mediumElectronic
dc.languageen
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC
dc.subjectAllergens
dc.subjectAmbulatory Care Facilities
dc.subjectAngioedema
dc.subjectAnti-Allergic Agents
dc.subjectClinical Audit
dc.subjectDiagnosis-Related Groups
dc.subjectFemale
dc.subjectHumans
dc.subjectHypersensitivity, Immediate
dc.subjectMale
dc.subjectPrimary Health Care
dc.subjectReferral and Consultation
dc.subjectSex Factors
dc.subjectUnited Kingdom
dc.subjectUrticaria
dc.titleComplexity of case mix in a regional allergy service
dc.typejournal-article
dc.typeCase Reports
dc.typeJournal Article
dc.typeResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
plymouth.author-urlhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22340023
plymouth.issue1
plymouth.volume5
plymouth.publication-statusPublished
plymouth.journalBMC Research Notes
dc.identifier.doi10.1186/1756-0500-5-103
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Faculty of Health
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Faculty of Health/School of Nursing and Midwifery
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/REF 2021 Researchers by UoA
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/REF 2021 Researchers by UoA/UoA03 Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Research Groups
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Research Groups/Institute of Health and Community
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Users by role
plymouth.organisational-group/Plymouth/Users by role/Academics
dc.publisher.placeEngland
dcterms.dateAccepted2012-02-17
dc.identifier.eissn1756-0500
dc.rights.embargoperiodNot known
rioxxterms.versionofrecord10.1186/1756-0500-5-103
rioxxterms.licenseref.urihttp://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate2012-02-17
rioxxterms.typeJournal Article/Review


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