Desensitization is a procedure that is designed to induce tolerance in patients with allergies to certain medications. This treatment was only available in Coimbra Local Health Unit. However, Aveiro Hospital has announced that it will start its own desensitization treatments.
Ana Morete, the director of Immuno-Allergology service at Hospital de Aveiro, said that:
The aim of this type of procedure is to make the patient tolerant to a medication to which they are allergic, as we use more medications, there may be more allergic reactions to the medications and specifically in medication for cancer patients, allergic reactions and anaphylaxis reactions are common.
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What Is The Need For Desensitization Treatments Hospital de Aveiro?
The drug hypersensitivity reactions have increased as various medications are used more frequently. Also, not all patients have therapeutic alternatives, and they are not equally effective. Therefore, there are desensitization protocols that allow the acquisition of temporary tolerance to a given drug.
Ana Morete further revealed that the the first desensitization treatment for chemotherapy agents at Aveiro Hospital will be carried out on Thursday. It will be tested on an oncology patient. He said:
This patient, for whom we are going to start this type of therapy, had a very serious anaphylactic reaction, which put his life in danger. As we have no other alternatives for this medication, and as this is a patient who really needs to take the medication, we are going to desensitize him.
The treatment consists of the controlled and gradual administration of the medication. It will start with small amounts and progressively increase to the pre-defined therapeutic dose for each patient. The doctor explained that they would give the medication in reduced, diluted doses at constant intervals.
This way, they will achieve desensitization at the end of the treatment. The treatment is expected to last five to six hours, and the patient will be able to take the drug with good tolerance.
Since the treatment comes with its associated risks, there will be a nurse and a doctor always by his side of the patient at all times. They will be there to deal with any undesirable effects if they occur. Additionally, during this period, the patient will be admitted to an ICU. This procedure will have to be repeated whenever the patient needs to take the medication in question.
These treatments were previously only available in Coimbra will now also be offered at the Hospital de Aveiro. This will help patients and their families avoid traveling long distances.
Ana Moreto expressed satisfaction with the new treatment, highlighting its importance as a life-saving measure. He said that the implementation of this treatment involved efforts from the directors and head nurses of the Immuno-Allergology, Medical Oncology, Intensive Medicine, and Pharmaceutical services at the Aveiro Region Local Health Unit.
