Few Severe Reactions to Allergy Shots and SLIT, Though Asthma a Risk Factor

By:
in Asthma, News
Published: March 13, 2017

Having asthma puts you at a greater risk of having a systemic allergic reaction during allergy shots, according to research presented at the AAAAI conference in Atlanta in March 2017.

The data comes from an analysis of 46.6 million visits for allergy shots (subcutaneous immunotherapy) and sublingual immunotherapy, in which patients take a dose of allergen extract under the tongue (referred to as SLIT).

Allergists who are members of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and the American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology (ACAAI) worked together to report on reactions during patient visits from 2008 to 2015. Starting in 2014, the survey also included local and systemic infections related to allergy shots.

“The risk of infections associated with allergy injections is thought to be non-existent yet this has not been systematically studied in a national study of treating allergists,” said Dr. Tolly Epstein, from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Out of the 9.5 million injections that gathered data on infections, no local or systemic infections were reported.

There were three deaths from anaphylaxis in patients, while systemic allergic reactions declined over the study period. A disproportionate number of the severe systemic reactions occurred in patients with asthma.

The survey included 1,355 patients treated with SLIT after it was approved by the FDA in 2014. Two severe reactions were reported, which were treated with epinephrine.

See Also:
Allergic Living’s full list of 2017 conference articles here.