- Title
- Review of venom immunotherapy at a regional tertiary paediatric centre
- Creator
- Johnston, Niall; Belcher, Jan; Preece, Kahn; Bhatia, Rani
- Relation
- Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health Vol. 58, Issue 7, p. 1228-1232
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jpc.15964
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2022
- Description
- Aim: Bee stings can result in allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Venom immunotherapy (VIT) is a definitive cure for bee venom allergy, but controversy surrounds whether accelerated protocols are safe in children. Our primary aim was to assess the safety profile of ultra-rush bee VIT compared with conventional bee VIT at a regional paediatric tertiary centre. We also sought to evaluate the impact of both approaches on time and resource use. Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from 14 patients with bee venom allergy who were treated with ultra-rush or conventional bee VIT between 2013 and 2021 at John Hunter Children's Hospital. We compared VIT-associated adverse reactions and use of resources in both these groups. Results: Overall, six patients received ultra-rush bee VIT and eight patients received conventional VIT. The ultra-rush group had a lower rate of systemic reaction (16%) compared with the conventional group (25%). One patient from the conventional group required adrenaline. Ultra-rush patients require fewer injections over a shorter time and fewer hospital visits to complete the protocol. Travel distance for families was significantly reduced. Conclusion: At our regional paediatric tertiary centre, ultra-rush bee VIT was a safe treatment option for children with bee venom allergy. It has many advantages over a conventional approach, especially for patients living in regional or remote areas.
- Subject
- anaphylaxis; bee venom; immunotherapy; paediatric
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle}
- Identifier
- uon:52170
- Identifier
- ISSN:1034-4810
- Language
- eng
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