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25 Jul 2008		New red flags for GPs

		GPs have worked with patients and scientists to develop new European guidelines for the treatment of patients with hay fever. The guidelines, released yesterday, list the "red flags" that should indicate a GP should refer a patient with an allergy to a specialist. More than 600 million people worldwide are thought to suffer from hay fever - or allergic rhinitis - and a third of these also suffer from asthma. The guidelines have been developed by the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network. Vice-president Professor Jean Bousquet said: "Neither allergic nor non-allergic rhinitis are trivial disorders. "They significantly impair patients' daily quality of life, school and work performance. "Moreover, people with allergic rhinitis have a greater risk to develop asthma and many patients with rhinitis already have asthma as well. Although patients come with a complaint about their nose, asthma too must be checked by the doctor." Dr Chris van Weel, of the the World Organisation of Family Doctors, added: "General practitioners therefore have a central role to play in the adequate diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis. "These two short publications intend to support primary care physicians in their diagnostic and facilitate doctors’ assessment of the disease and medication choices." Primary care: the cornerstone of diagnosis of allergic rhinitis Ryan et al. Allergy 2008, Vol 63, N°8, pp. 981-989

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