Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions to Drugs in Latin America: The RACGRAD Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Severe cutaneous adverse reactions to drugs (SCARs) are associated with high morbidity and mortality and with sequelae. Objective: To characterize patients with SCARs in 8 health care institutions in Latin America. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional, descriptive, multicenter study of patients diagnosed with SCARs in Latin America between January 2009 and December 2018. The analysis was carried out using a database in BD Clinic. RESULTS: We collected 70 patients, of whom 42 (60%) were women. Mean age was 38.7 years. Forty-two patients (60%) had DRESS-DIHS, 12 (17.1%) TEN, 5 (7.1%) SJS, 6 (8.5%) AGEP, 4 (5.7%) other reactions not classified as SCARs, and 1 (1.4%) overlapping SJS-TEN. The main causative drugs were aromatic anticonvulsants in 31 cases (44.3%), ß-lactam antibiotics in 11 cases (15.7%), and non-ß-lactam antibiotics in 6 cases (8.6%). In all of the cases, the suspected drug was withdrawn at the first sign of a SCAR. Sixty-six patients (94.2%) received anti-inflammatory treatment, mostly systemic corticosteroids. Complications occurred in 53 cases (75.7%), and 3 patients died (4.3%). Thirteen patients (18.6%) had sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first multicenter report on SCARs in Latin America. DRESS-DIHS was the most frequently reported clinical entity, and anticonvulsants were the main triggers. Most of the patients received systemic corticosteroids. Complications were frequent, and 3 patients died.

Why a registry of Chronic Urticaria (CUR) is needed.

Chronic urticaria (CU) has a major effect on patients' quality of life. While there have been progressive advances regarding its pathogenesis and treatment, much remains to be done. Registries of other chronic non-communicable diseases have shown many benefits, such as additional basic knowledge and management approaches to diabetes mellitus. Standards of care as well as diagnostic approaches can be elaborated and compared from different sites, using validated instruments. Registries in allergic diseases are also becoming well recognized, and the first registry on CU, accessible from SLaai's webpage, includes parameters for identification, evaluation and management. In our vision, informatics strategies have the potential to improve care for chronic illnesses such as CU. The registry represents a valid instrument from which to obtain a sufficient sample size for epidemiological studies and/or clinical research planning, including feasibility and potential enrollment. It can also provide invaluable data for adapting guidelines to local populations, as well as diagnostic approaches and cost-effective interventions in the context of organizational efforts to improve patient care.

Alteraciones olfatorias en rinitis alérgicas / Olfactory alterations in allergic rhinitis

Los trastornos del olfato pueden causar serias consecuencias por la incapacidad de detectar señales olorosas de riesgo (humo, gases, alimentos en mal estado), y pueden afectar significativamente la nutrición y aun el comportamiento sexual. Estos trastornos tienen un impacto significativo en la calidad de vida de los pacientes. La hiposmia es una queja común entre los pacientes afectados por rinitis alérgica o no alérgica de larga data. En la consulta clínica por estas afecciones la pérdida del olfato es raramente explorada, centrándose la atención en los estornudos, rinorrea, congestión y prurito nasal. En la rinitis alérgica parece haber un continuo en la duración y severidad de la afección y la pérdida olfatoria, paralelo al grado de afectación rinosinusal. La pérdida olfatoria es mayor en los pacientes con rinitis no alérgica que en los afectados por rinitis alérgica estacional o perenne. En general los estudios no encuentran correlación entre la medición del grado de congestión nasal y la pérdida de olfato. En cambio existe mejor correlación con la inflamación eosinofílica. Los mecanismos subyacentes por los cuales la rinitis /rinosinusitis afectan el olfato probablemente sean multifactoriales, y podrían incluir la alteración del flujo aéreo y depósito de las sustancias olorosas, cambios en la composición del moco, y efectos de los mediadores inflamatorios en la diferenciación, maduración y función de las células receptoras. Las terapias actuales son efectivas en revertir la pérdida olfatoria solo parcial o transitoriamente. Los corticoides inhalados o sistémicos han probado ser parcialmente efectivos en mejorar el olfato en pacientes con rinitis alérgica.(AU)

Olfactory disorders can cause serious consequences from the inability to detect many olfactory warning signals (eg, smoke, spoiled food, and gas leaks) and can significantly impact nutritional status and even sexual behavior. Disorders of olfaction have significant quality of life impact. Hyposmia is a fairly common complaint in patients with long-continuing allergic or nonallergic rhinitis. Smell loss is often overlooked in the clinical setting of rhinitis, with attention instead focused on the respiratory complaints of nasal obstruction, hypersecretion, sneezing and nasal pruritus. There appears to be a continuum of duration and severity of olfactory loss in allergic rhinitis that parallels increasing severity of nasal-sinus disease. The nonallergic rhinitis patients' sense of smell was poorer than that of seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis patients. Associations are generally lacking between measures of airway patency and olfactory function in this patients. The eosinophilic inflammation has a better correlation with the olfactory loss. The underlying mechanisms by which rhinitis/rhinosinusitis impact olfactory ability are likely to be multifactorial and might include altered air flow and odor deposition, changes in mucus composition, and effects of inflammatory mediators on receptor cell differentiation, maturation, or function. Current therapies are only partially or transiently effective in reversing olfactory loss. Inhaled and systemic steroids have been proved partially effective in improving olfactory function in patients with allergic rhinitis (AU)