engleski

QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC INDUCIBLE COLD URTICARIA - A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION: Chronic inducible cold urticaria (cold urticaria, CU), a subtype of chronic inducible urticaria (CIU), is a skin condition characterized by the appearance of transient itchy wheals and/or angioedema induced by cold exposure. CU is the second most common form of CIU, accounting for 15 to 25% of all CIUs. The incidence of CU is estimated at around 0.05%, with rates higher in areas with colder climates. The disease has a slight female predominance. Skin lesions induced by cold develop during rewarming and usually resolve within two hours. Nevertheless, in rare cases it can progress to anaphylaxis. Treatment of CU consists of avoiding cold triggers, second-generation H1-antihistamines and an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody, omalizumab, currently used off-label. CU is difficult to manage, consequently affecting patient’s quality of life, work performance, as well as social interactions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze CU- related effects on the psychological, social and work-related aspects of life, general quality of life of patients, as well as their ability to adjust to the illness. METHODS: Ten patients suffering from CU volunteered to participate in this study. All patients were women, aged 25 to 50 years with an average disease duration of 5 years. The patients were recruited with a snowball sampling method and interviewed using a predefined topic guide, focusing on their experience with urticaria. The interviews were transcribed and prepared for verbatim analysis and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The identified themes were categorized into broader categories, including physical disease aspect and symptoms, psychological aspects, social aspects, work related aspects, general quality of life and adjustment to illness. Results showed significant deviation from results obtained from the general population. CONCLUSION: Our results clearly show CU impairs different aspects of patient’s lives, indicating the need for a holistic approach to patient care that includes assessing and managing the psychosocial aspect and quality of life. Using a qualitative method enabled gaining an in-depth understanding of the psychosocial burden of CU and can be used for designing future quantitative studies aimed at exploring urticaria related psychosocial impairments.

chronic urticaria, quality of life, cold urticaria

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