Long-term protection after stopping venom immunotherapy: Results of re-stings in 200 patients☆,☆☆,★,★★
Section snippets
Patients
In the fall of 1995, all 358 patients who had stopped successful VIT between 1988 and 1992 after a duration of at least 3 years were questioned regarding re-stings after discontinuation. Fifty-eight had reported reactions to both honeybee and Vespula spp. stings, were sensitive to both venoms, and therefore were treated with honeybee (BV) and Vespula venom (VV). Overall, there were 416 VIT treatment courses, 258 with BV and 158 with VV. Data could be obtained concerning 322 treatment courses,
Results
In 200 of 322 VIT courses, re-stings were reported. This high reexposure rate of 62.1% during 3 to 7 years of posttreatment observation reflects the high exposure of our patients, who mostly originate from the countryside.
Discussion
There is general agreement that VIT of 3 or more years duration results in a high protection rate of patients allergic to venom both during1, 2, 3, 16 and in the first year after stopping this treatment.9, 10, 11, 12, 13 The data on long-term protection after stopping VIT are much more limited and concern mostly patients treated with VV.17, 18 We report here on re-stings in 120 patients allergic to BV and 80 patients allergic to VV during an observation time of up to 7 years after stopping VIT
Acknowledgements
We thank Mrs. Margrit Weber and Mrs. Katrin Freiburghaus for skilled technical assistance and Mrs. Tranziska Friedrich for the preparation of the manuscript.
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2020, Medical Clinics of North AmericaCitation Excerpt :In addition, the risk remains present for decades.7,22,23 This risk is reduced significantly with VIT: during VIT the risk is approximately 2% (if mixed vespid) and, after completion of VIT, the risk of a future reaction is 10% (although only about 2% require epinephrine).85,95,96 There is some degree of risk stratification.
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From the Division of Internal Medicine, Zieglerspital, Bern.
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Supported by the Allergy Research Foundation of the Zieglerspital (Bern, Switzerland).
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Reprint requests: Ulrich R. Müller, MD, Division of Internal Medicine, Zieglerspital, CH-3007 Bern, Switzerland.
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