THE EVALUATION OF SKIN PRICK TEST RESULTS IN ANKARA KECIOREN AREA ACCORDING TO METEOROLOGIC AND DEMOGRAFIK FEATURES
1Keçiören Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz, Ankara, Türkiye2Keçiören Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Dermatoloji, Ankara, Türkiye
3Keçiören Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Göğüs Hastalıkları, Ankara, Türkiye Goal: This study was designed to determine allergen distribution in patients with allergic rhinitis symptomatology according to occupation groups and gender, to assess the relationship between allergen sensitivity and symptoms, and to contribute to the preventive measures.
The patients and methods: The charts of 520 patients, who presented with allergic rhinitis symptoms and received allergy testing between January and December, 2008, were reviewed retrospectively. The skin prick tests were evaluated according to age, gender, and occupation groups.
Results: Average age of patients with positive skin prick test was 33 ± 11.8 (12- 66) and 216 of them were female and 78 were male. The most common rhinitis symptom was sneezing (86.3%). Tree (49.7%) and grass (48.6%) pollens were the most and second most common allergens, respectively.
Conclusion: Among the patients with allergic rhinitis presentation in Kecioren, sensitivity to tree pollens was the most frequent reason. Taking environmental precautions against frequently seen pollens and informing patients during pollenization periods might contribute to decrease of symptoms of highly sensitive patients.
Keywords : Allergy, allergen, skin prick test