An update of recommendations for the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) in adolescents and adults, issued by members of the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters (JTFPP), changes initial treatment strategies and aims to reduce unnecessary cost to patients and variations in care.
The previous guidelines were issued in 2008 by the JTFPP of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology; the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology; and the Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
The guidelines were published online November 2 in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
"All guidelines should be periodically reviewed to assure they reflect the most up-to-date clinical evidence," lead author, Mark Dykewicz, MD, professor of allergy and immunology and of internal medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Missouri, told Medscape Medical News in an email.
"And we hope the guideline update will provide guidance to clinicians and patients that will facilitate shared decision-making about choosing between treatment options for seasonal allergic rhinitis and promote cost-effective care," he added.
The 2017 guideline update addressed three clinical scenarios. First, the working group asked whether the combination of an oral antihistamine plus an intranasal corticosteroid (INCS) provides greater symptomatic relief than an INCS alone.
