From clinical guidelines to practice. Clinical experience in treatment of patients with allergic rhinitis

Introduction. Antihistamines are the most commonly prescribed class of medications for the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR). However, they are also widely used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the ENT organs. One such drug is levocytirizine, (R) an enantiomer of cetirizine, which is a selective antagonist of peripheral histamine H1-receptors. This article analyzes the properties of levocytirizine in terms of safety and efficacy in allergic rhinitis. Aim of the study is to assess the efficacy of levocetirizine in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) and perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) versus placebo, and safety for patients with allergic rhinitis. Materials and methods. In this, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 52 patients with year-round allergic rhinitis and 28 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis were randomized to receive levocetirizine 5 mg/day once or placebo. Mean overall measures of five symptoms (nasal congestion, nasal itching, itchy eyes, rhinorrhea, and sneezing) were compared between treatment groups at 1, 2, and 4 weeks. All individual symptom scores were also examined. Results. Levocetirizine showed a significant improvement in the condition of patients with CAR and SAR over the entire treatment period compared to placebo. Assessment of individual symptoms showed statistically significant differences in favor of levocetirizine. Conclusion. Levocetirizine is an effective, safe, and well-tolerated drug for the treatment of allergic rhinitis.