Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) is a non-pharmacological intervention in severe asthma with a well-known mechanism of reducing airway smooth muscle. However, its effect on airway inflammation remains uncertain.
Food allergy affects the patient’s quality of life (QoL) and leads to anxiety and depression. In addition to routine treatment, QoL evaluation should also be performed in patients with food allergies. The validated Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire – Adult Form (FAQLQ-AF) and Food Allergy Independent Measure – Adult Form (FAIM-AF) have been well accepted and available in many languages.
The health benefits of breastfeeding are partly contributed by human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), but there is limited data on breast milk (BM) HMO composition in Chinese.
Incorrect penicillin ‘allergy’ labels predispose patients to adverse outcomes but are under-recognised in many Asian countries. Studies on performance and post-delabelling outcomes of penicillin allergy evaluation among Chinese remain scarce.
Low-dose oral immunotherapy (OIT) is a safe treatment for hen’s egg allergy; however, comparison of its therapeutic effects with those of high-dose OIT has not been reported.
Conventional and cluster subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) are effective but may be time-consuming. Rush SCIT may offer a more convenient treatment option to patients and be of shorter duration; however, it is also associated with a higher incidence of systemic adverse reactions. Therefore, a combination of protocols between rush and cluster SCIT could have a superior risk-benefit ratio.
Non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) is characterized by symptoms of nasal inflammation without allergic sensitization. The long-term outcome of NAR in children is poorly defined.
Skin prick testing and serological identification of allergen specific immunoglobulin E (spIgE) are standard tests for allergic rhinitis but can only identify systemic responses. In contrast, nasal allergen challenge (NAC), directly assess localized nasal mucosal reactivity, but is time consuming. Identification of spIgE from nasal brushings (nasal spIgE) is an alternative technique.
Nasal steroids are commonly prescribed to reduce nasal side effects, which are the primary cause of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) intolerance in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients.