A survey of management practices in coexistent allergic rhinitis and asthma (Asia-pacific Survey of Physicians on Asthma and allergic Rhinitis): results from Thailand
10.5415/apallergy.2019.9.e24
- Author:
Torsak BUNUPURADAH
1
;
Sudawan SIRIAKSORN
;
David HINDS
;
Sumitra SHANTAKUMAR
;
Aruni MULGIRIGAMA
;
Bhumika AGGARWAL
Author Information
1. GlaxoSmithKline Limited, Bangkok, Thailand. torsak.x.bunupuradah@gsk.com
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Allergic rhinitis;
Asthma;
Comorbidity;
Physician survey;
Thailand
- MeSH:
Adrenal Cortex Hormones;
Asian Continental Ancestry Group;
Asthma;
Chronic Disease;
Comorbidity;
Cross-Sectional Studies;
Humans;
Rhinitis, Allergic;
Steroids;
Thailand
- From:
Asia Pacific Allergy
2019;9(3):e24-
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) in patients with asthma can worsen treatment outcomes. There is limited evidence of clinical practices for management of coexistent AR-asthma in Thailand. METHODS: A multicountry, cross-sectional study (Asia-pacific Survey of Physicians on Asthma and allergic Rhinitis) to evaluate physician perceptions and management practices related to AR-asthma overlap in 6 Asian countries was conducted. For Thailand specifically, AR-asthma linkage questionnaires were developed and translated to Thailaland. General physicians (GPs) or pediatricians, randomly selected from hospitals in urban cities, routinely treating >10 asthma patients/month were interviewed. Here we present the results for Thailand. RESULTS: Two hundred physicians (100 GPs and 100 pediatricians), of whom 70% worked in government hospitals, were interviewed. In their experience, 50% of asthma patients had AR and 28% of AR patients had asthma. Among diagnosed asthma patients, 65% of physicians routinely asked for any AR symptoms at every visit. Among diagnosed AR patients, 63% of physicians routinely asked for any asthma symptoms at every visit. In patients with coexisting AR-asthma, 91% of physicians treated both diseases simultaneously, while 6% of physicians treated asthma as a chronic disease but managed AR symptomatically. The most preferred treatment options for patients with AR-asthma were inhaled corticosteroids with intranasal steroids (46% in GPs, 71% in pediatricians). CONCLUSION: The physicians interviewed in Thailand are aware about coexistent asthma-AR. There is a need to increase the awareness further for coexistent AR-asthma and to educate nonspecialist physicians in the proper management of AR-asthma patients.
