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Chronic urticaria

Guidelines

Key sources

The following summarized guidelines for the evaluation and management of chronic urticaria are prepared by our editorial team based on guidelines from the Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology (APAAACI/GA²LEN/EDF/EAACI 2022) and the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD 2022).
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Classification and risk stratification

Classification, based on duration: as per APAAACI/EAACI/EDF/GA²LEN 2022 guidelines, classify urticaria as acute (≤ 6 weeks) or chronic (> 6 weeks).
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  • Classification (based on trigger)

  • Differential diagnosis

Diagnostic investigations

Clinical assessment: as per APAAACI/EAACI/EDF/GA²LEN 2022 guidelines, use the urticaria activity score 7 and/or angioedema activity score to assess disease activity in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria.
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  • Initial evaluation

  • Provocation tests

Medical management

Goals of treatment: as per APAAACI/EAACI/EDF/GA²LEN 2022 guidelines, target complete symptom control in patients with urticaria, considering as much as possible the safety and the QoL of each individual patient.
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  • Avoidance of inciting agents

  • H1RAs

  • H2RAs

  • Leukotriene receptor antagonists

  • Systemic corticosteroids

  • Omalizumab

  • Cyclosporin

  • Epinephrine autoinjectors

  • Third-line therapy (chronic spontaneous urticaria)

  • Third-line therapy (chronic inducible urticaria)

Nonpharmacologic interventions

Dietary modifications
As per BAD 2022 guidelines:
Do not advise routine dietary exclusion in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria. Obtain appropriate evaluation if food appears to play a role, based on a detailed history, in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria.
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Insufficient evidence regarding dietary supplementation in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria.
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  • Emollients

  • Psychosocial support

Specific circumstances

Pediatric patients: as per APAAACI/EAACI/EDF/GA²LEN 2022 guidelines, consider using the same treatment algorithm with caution (weight-adjusted dosage) in pediatric patients with chronic urticaria.
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  • Pregnant patients

Patient education

Patient education: as per BAD 2022 guidelines, provide patients with educational material or a patient information leaflet on urticaria and angioedema.
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Follow-up and surveillance

Indications for referral: as per BAD 2022 guidelines, refer patients with chronic urticaria to secondary care in the following situations:
diagnostic doubt
urticaria is not adequately controlled by first-line therapy
high levels of inflammatory markers
marked or persistent associated systemic symptoms, or if the patient is systemically unwell
urticaria is having a significant impact on QoL, such as depression, anxiety, marked psychosocial impact, reduced work/school attendance or sleep disturbance
angioedema without weals not controlled by first-line therapy.
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  • Clinical follow-up