Safety of home-based and office allergy immunotherapy: A multicenter prospective study

During a 1-year period, 27 otolaryngic allergy practices recorded all syste mic reactions to immunotherapy resulting from 635,600 patient visits and 1, 144,000 injections, Sixty percent of injections were given at home. Major s ystemic reactions were observed after 0.005% of Injections. There were no h ospitalizations or deaths. Eighty-seven percent of major reactions began wi thin 20 minutes of injection. Frequently observed risk factors for major re actions were buildup phase of immunotherapy, active asthma, and first injec tion from a treatment vial. Home and office injections had similar rates of total systemic reactions, but home-based immunotherapy had far fewer major reactions. Home-based immunotherapy was found to be safe. The methods and precautions used to treat patients with this degree of safety are specified and discussed.