One- versus 2-day aspirin desensitization in aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease: A quality improvement project

Current aspirin desensitization protocols for aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) require from 1 to 3 days to complete.

Our aim was to assess the implementation of a 1-day versus 2-day aspirin desensitization protocol in patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.

We used a preintervention-postintervention quality improvement design to compare the completion rates, reaction rates, and estimated costs of a 2-day versus 1-day aspirin desensitization. The cost for each desensitization was estimated on the basis of 2017-2020 US Medicare standards. We included the predesensitization variables for FEV₁ value, urinary leukotriene E₄ level, absolute eosinophil count (AEC), and total IgE level for each group.

A total of 15 patients underwent a 2-day aspirin desensitization in the 4-year (2017-2020) preintervention period and were compared with 8 patients who underwent a 1-day aspirin desensitization in the 1-year (2021) postintervention period. The desensitization completion rate (93% vs 100% [P = 1]) and the mean number of reactions requiring intervention during the desensitization protocols (0.26 vs 0.8 [P = .14]) were similar between groups. The average time frame between last polypectomy and desensitization was longer in the 2-day group (1946 vs 39.2 days [P = .03]). The mean values for FEV₁ level, urinary leukotriene E₄ level, absolute eosinophil count, and total IgE level were 76% vs 83% (P = .6), 1084 vs 385 pg/mg (P = .2), 686 vs 306 cells/μL (P = .74), and 735 vs 278 kU/L (P = .5), respectively. The estimated direct cost reduction was $762 per aspirin desensitization for using 1-day vs 2-day aspirin desensitization.

Compared with a 2-day protocol, the implementation of a 1-day aspirin desensitization was characterized by similar completion and reaction rates as well as lower costs.