NEW YORK, July 21 (UPI) -- Known asthmatics are not receiving adequate screening for indoor allergens that could trigger attacks, two New York researchers say.
Previous research has indicated a higher prevalence of asthma in inner-city populations, leading the National Institutes for Health to recommend evaluation of the allergic component to those patients' asthma.
But a study by Dr. Paula Busse and Dr. Ethan Halm of 169 adult patients with a history of frequent emergency department visits found only 60 percent of them had been evaluated for allergies to common indoor allergens.
While 82 percent had a regular source of medical care for asthma, of those later evaluated for allergies, 94 percent were sensitized to a least one common indoor antigen, such as cockroach, dust mite, molds and pets.
The study, which appears in the July issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, concluded adult patients with persistent asthma from inner-city populations are not being optimally evaluated and counseled for their allergies to indoor allergens, a factor which may be playing a role in their high rates of asthma symptoms and hospitalizations.
