COVID-19 severity in asthma patients: a multi-center matched cohort study.

Objective: The evidence pertaining to the effects of asthma on Coronavirus disease 2019 outcomes has been unclear. To improve our understanding of the clinically important association of asthma and Coronavirus disease 2019.

Methods: A matched cohort study was performed using data from the Mass General Brigham Health Care System (Boston, MA).

mRNA Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19 Disease and Reported Allergic Reactions: Current Evidence and Suggested Approach.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for 2 highly effective coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

Sex differences in academic rank in allergy/immunology.

Background: Female physicians are significantly less likely than male physicians to be full professors, even after accounting for age, experience, specialty, and measures of research and clinical productivity.

Objective: We sought to evaluate sex differences in academic rank in the allergy and immunology workforce.

Methods: We used a cross-sectional physician data set containing the allergist's sex, age, years since residency, faculty appointment, authored publications, National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, clinical trial investigation, and Medicare reimbursement to investigate sex differences in the academic allergy and immunology workforce using multilevel logistic regression models.

Mining social media data to assess the risk of skin and soft tissue infections from allergen immunotherapy.

Background: Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) treatment for allergic rhinitis and asthma is used by 2.6 million Americans annually. Clinical and sterility testing studies identify no risk of contamination or infection from extracts prepared using recommended aseptic techniques, but regulatory concerns persist.

Utility of Risk Stratification for Paclitaxel Hypersensitivity Reactions.

Background: Hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) are a common impediment to paclitaxel therapy. Management strategies to guide care after a paclitaxel-induced HSR are needed.

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the utility and safety of risk stratification on the basis of severity of the initial HSR.

The Cost of Penicillin Allergy Evaluation.

Background: Unverified penicillin allergy leads to adverse downstream clinical and economic sequelae. Penicillin allergy evaluation can be used to identify true, IgE-mediated allergy.

Objective: To estimate the cost of penicillin allergy evaluation using time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC).

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events among patients receiving omalizumab: Results from EXCELS, a prospective cohort study in moderate to severe asthma.

Background: EXCELS, a postmarketing observational cohort study, was a commitment to the US Food and Drug Administration to assess the long-term safety of omalizumab in an observational setting, focusing predominantly on malignancies.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine a potential association between omalizumab and cardiovascular (CV)/cerebrovascular (CBV) events in EXCELS.

Methods: Patients (≥12 years of age) with moderate to severe allergic asthma and who were being treated with omalizumab (n = 5007) or not (n = 2829) at baseline were followed up for ≤5 years.

Immune-mediated reactions to vancomycin: A systematic case review and analysis.

Background: Vancomycin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic whose use may be limited by adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Although vancomycin toxic effects are known, there are limited data on vancomycin hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs).

Objective: To understand the most commonly reported vancomycin HSRs through systematic case review.

Utility of ICD-9-CM Codes for Identification of Allergic Drug Reactions.

Background: The epidemiology of allergic drug reactions is poorly understood due, in large part, to difficulty in identifying true cases in population data sets. Use of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes is a potentially valuable approach that requires formal evaluation.

Objective: To better understand the utility of ICD-9-CM codes for identification of allergic drug reactions, including the validation of specific codes by chart review.

Risk-stratification protocol for carboplatin and oxaliplatin hypersensitivity: repeat skin testing to identify drug allergy.

Background: Hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) to platinum-based chemotherapies are increasingly being recognized. The authors developed a novel risk-stratification protocol that was used successfully in a small number of patients with carboplatin-induced HSRs.

Objective: To describe the utility of this protocol in a large number of patients with carboplatin- or oxaliplatin-induced HSRs.

Comprehensive allergy evaluation is useful in the subsequent care of patients with drug hypersensitivity reactions during anesthesia.

Background: For patients with a history of drug hypersensitivity reaction (HSR) during anesthesia, strategies to minimize risk with subsequent anesthesia are unclear. Identification of the cause of HSR during anesthesia remains challenging.

Objective: To determine the success of a comprehensive allergy evaluation and management plan for patients with HSR during anesthesia, including identification of the causative agent and review of outcomes during subsequent anesthesia exposure.

Safety and outcomes of test doses for the evaluation of adverse drug reactions: a 5-year retrospective review.

Background: Graded challenges are the criterion standard for evaluating adverse drug reactions (ADR). Evidence-based guidelines regarding the optimal number of steps for challenges are lacking.

Objective: To determine the safety and outcomes of 1- or 2-step test doses among patients with ADRs seen by the allergy/immunology consult service and to compare the outcomes of 1- or 2-step test doses with multistep challenges performed during the same time period.

Management of hypersensitivity reactions to Carboplatin and Paclitaxel in an outpatient oncology infusion center: a 5-year review.

Background: A high incidence of hypersensitivity reactions (HSR) to carboplatin and Taxol is limiting the use of carboplatin and Taxol.

Objective: We conducted a 5-year study of all patients with HSR to carboplatin or Taxol to better understand the nature of infusion HSR and success or failure of management plans after the initial HSR.

Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of all safety reports from the Massachusetts General Hospital outpatient chemotherapy infusion center between January 2006 and February 2011.

Retrospective study of drug-induced anaphylaxis treated in the emergency department or hospital: patient characteristics, management, and 1-year follow-up.

Background: Drugs are a common cause of anaphylaxis, which is potentially life threatening.

Objective: We sought to describe US patients with an emergency department (ED) visit or hospitalization for drug-induced anaphylaxis (DIA), including postdischarge follow-up care.

Methods: By using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes in the MarketScan Database, we identified all patients with an ED visit and/or hospitalization for DIA between 2002 and 2008 (index date = initial ED visit and/or hospitalization).

Long-acting anticholinergics in the treatment of asthma.

Purpose Of Review: The use of anticholinergic medications is well established as maintenance therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There is a growing interest in the use of anticholinergic medications in the treatment of moderate to severe asthma. The purpose of this review is to summarize the scientific evidence for the use of anticholinergic therapy in the management of asthma.

Difficult asthma: assessment and management, Part 2.

Patients with severe asthma have considerable morbidity related to their asthma and are at risk for serious, life-threatening exacerbations. Their management requires an intensive and comprehensive approach, including attention to reducing exposure to environmental inciters of airway inflammation and triggers of symptoms, patient education (including an asthma action plan), and opportunity for close patient-provider communication. Approved medical options include the lipoxygenase inhibitor, zileuton; the anti-immunoglobulin E monoclonal antibody, omalizumab; and bronchial thermoplasty.

Difficult asthma: assessment and management, Part 1.

A minority of asthma patients have disease that proves difficult to control with usual medications and experience ongoing symptoms, poor quality of life, and limitations in activity and/or frequent asthma exacerbations. This group of patients accounts for much of the expense associated with asthma care and is the focus of national and international collaborative study groups. Distinguishing between "difficult-to-manage asthma" and truly "therapy-resistant asthma" is helpful and promotes a systematic consideration of contributory factors.

The importance of vancomycin in drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome.

Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome characterized by fever, rash, eosinophilia, atypical lymphocytes, and multiorgan involvement has a significant mortality. Inpatient vancomycin use is increasing and appears to be emerging as an important etiology of DRESS syndrome. This study highlights the importance of vancomycin as a cause of DRESS syndrome.

A protocol for risk stratification of patients with carboplatin-induced hypersensitivity reactions.

Background: Management of patients with carboplatin-induced hypersensitivity reactions (HSR) has been complicated by high false-negative rates of carboplatin skin test (ST) results. These patients might be at risk for future carboplatin-induced HSRs. In this article we identify a strategy to improve risk stratification of patients with a history of carboplatin-induced HSRs by using a protocol that includes repeat skin testing and drug desensitization.