An Integrated Medical and Nursing Management Model for Children with Allergic Rhinitis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
• Nursing Management
• Clinical Intervention Efficacy

Background:

• Allergic rhinitis (AR) significantly impacts children's quality of life.
• Intranasal corticosteroids (INCSs) are a common treatment, but efficacy can be limited by suboptimal administration and adherence.
• A need exists for enhanced management strategies to improve outcomes in pediatric AR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated medical and nursing management model for children with allergic rhinitis.
• To assess the impact of this model on treatment compliance, symptom severity, and quality of life.

Main Methods:

• A before-after study design was used with 73 children diagnosed with AR who had previously shown inadequate response to INCSs.
• An allergy nurse specialist provided education on INCSs operation and AR management to children and their parents.
• Outcomes including medication compliance, visual analogue scale (VAS) for symptoms, and Pediatric Rhino-conjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (PRQLQ) were measured at baseline and 4 weeks post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Medication compliance dramatically increased from 46.6% to 96.6% (P < 0.01).
• Significant reductions were observed in both nasal (VAS: 22 to 2, P < 0.01) and ocular symptom scores (VAS: 5 to 1, P < 0.01).
• Substantial improvements were noted across all PRQLQ domains, including nasal symptoms, ocular symptoms, practical and emotional issues, and other symptoms (P < 0.01 for all).

Conclusions:

• The integrated medical and nursing management model is highly effective in improving allergic rhinitis treatment compliance and reducing symptom burden in children.
• This model significantly enhances the quality of life for pediatric patients with AR.
• The study supports the clinical application of this nursing-led intervention for pediatric allergic rhinitis management.