[Compliance with and abandonment of immunotherapy]

The charts of 247 allergic patients (all ages) who were receiving immunotherapy were studied retrospectively. They belong to a private setting at the city of Santa Ana Chiautempan, Tlax (Mexico). We looked at whether they were compliant or noncompliance. Compliance was considered as those who did not stop immunotherapy during a 18-month period, and shorter periods s noncompliance. One hundred and fifty two (62%) were compliant and 95 (38%) were not. Noncompliance causes were: 29 patients felt better soon, 19 claimed high costs, 8 changed to alternative medicine. 6 felt worse because of immunotherapy, 6 moved to other cities, 2 preferred other allergists and 25 did not answer the questionnaire. Forty six per cent stopped during the first 2 to 6 months and 56% within 8 and 14 with a median of 5.4. Eighty per cent from those who were compliant claimed they felt much better and 18% only slightly better. The average length-compliance was 29.7 months.