Patients with previous immediate hypersensitivity reactions to polyethylene glycol can safely receive the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

Previous anaphylaxis or immediate allergic reaction to polyethylene glycol (PEG; also known as macrogol) is considered a contraindication to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, which contains 50 ug of PEG at a molecular weight of 2000, and this component is thought to account for the higher rate of anaphylaxis seen with this vaccine (4.7 per million doses) than with other non-mRNA vaccines. However, there is evidence that both anaphylaxis to PEG and anaphylaxis to the Pfizer COVID-19 reaction may not be IgE-mediated, with patients with anaphylaxis to first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine receiving their second dose of vaccine without no or milder reactions in a high-risk clinic setting.

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ Adolescent and Adult Asthma Guidelines 2020: a quick reference guide.

The purpose of the 2020 Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ Adolescent and Adult Asthma Guidelines is to provide simple, practical and evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis, assessment and management of asthma in adolescents and adults (aged 12 and over) in a quick reference format. The intended users are health professionals responsible for delivering asthma care in the community and hospital settings, and those responsible for the training of such health professionals. The main changes in the 2020 update are: 1) combining the recommendations for both adolescents and adults in a single document, 2) the recommendation to avoid SABA-only treatment in the long-term management of asthma, 3) the use of budesonide/formoterol reliever, with or without maintenance budesonide/formoterol, is preferred to SABA reliever, with or without maintenance ICS or ICS/LABA, across the spectrum of asthma severity, 4) introduction of the terminology 'anti-inflammatory reliever (AIR)' therapy to describe the use of budesonide/formoterol as a reliever medication, with or without maintenance budesonide/ formoterol therapy.

Prospective Evaluation of the ESPGHAN Guidelines for Diagnosis of Celiac Disease in New Zealand Children.

Objective: The 2012 European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) guideline for diagnosis of celiac disease (CD) questioned the requirement for intestinal biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. The guideline recommends that in symptomatic patients with consistent human leukocyte antigen (HLA) subtypes, the diagnostic accuracy of strongly positive serology is sufficient to confirm the diagnosis. We prospectively assessed these guidelines in a "real-life" clinical setting.

Comparison of the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism and the 1987 American Rheumatism Association classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis in an early arthritis cohort in New Zealand.

Objective: To compare the performance of the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) criteria with the 1987 American Rheumatism Association (ARA) criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in an early arthritis cohort.

Methods: The study included 79 patients with early arthritis (symptoms < 12 months) and a minimum of 1 year of followup between January 2004 and August 2010. Case notes were reviewed to determine which criteria were fulfilled at initial, 3-month, 1-year, and 2-year visits.

The Christchurch earthquake--providing a rheumatology service during a natural disaster.

To report on the effects of the Canterbury earthquake on rheumatology service provision and identify factors that allowed continuation of patient care. Data was collected on the number of appointments during the period after the earthquake and the effects of the earthquake on service provision. The rheumatology service faced unique challenges in continuing to provide a service and ensure ongoing care for our patients in the community after the earthquake.

Life-threatening angioedema in a patient with systemic lupus.

We report a case of a young Chinese female who presented with life-threatening angioedema during an admission for flare-up of lupus disease. We discuss her investigations and management and include a review of the literature.

Hereditary periodic fever syndrome sans fever or distinct periodicity presenting with psychosis.

The genetic basis for several hereditary periodic fever syndromes has been identified and consequently, the phenotypic spectrum of these disorders has broadened. We describe a young woman with tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), proven by mutational analysis, who presented with psychosis but without fever, symptom periodicity, or similar family medical history. This patient represents the first case of TRAPS-associated psychosis.

Levofloxacin: an updated review of its use in the treatment of bacterial infections.

Unlabelled: Levofloxacin is the L-form of the fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent, ofloxacin. In in vitro studies, levofloxacin demonstrated a broad range of activity against Gram-positive and -negative organisms and anaerobes. The drug is more active against Gram-positive organisms than ciprofloxacin, but less active than newer fluoroquinolones such as gatifloxacin.

Gatifloxacin: a review of its use in the management of bacterial infections.

Unlabelled: Gatifloxacin is an 8-methoxy fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent. The drug has a broader spectrum of antibacterial activity than the older fluoroquinolones (e.g.