Subacute Neurotoxicity as an Adverse Reaction to Ceftazidime: A Case Report.

Neurotoxicity associated with cephalosporins is an increasingly recognized complication, although among cephalosporins, ceftazidime is rarely reported for such an adverse reaction. Moreover, subacute, rather than acute, presentation of neurotoxicity associated with cephalosporins is rare. A 77-year-old female patient with stage 4 chronic renal disease was admitted due to cellulitis in her right lower limb, multiorgan dysfunction complicated by oliguric acute kidney injury, and a need for hemodialysis via a central venous catheter. On the 13th day after admission, she became febrile, and bacteremia associated with a central venous catheter was identified, which prompted the initiation of empirical antibiotic therapy with vancomycin and ceftazidime. After 13 days of antibiotic therapy with vancomycin and ceftazidime, the patient became confused, with temporal-spatial disorientation and myoclonus, especially in the upper limbs, with worsening renal function. Ceftazidime was discontinued, and the patient's condition improved with complete remission of symptoms on the 8th day after symptom onset. Neurotoxicity associated with ceftazidime is a rare but probably underdiagnosed adverse reaction. It is more frequent in elderly patients with previous neurological dysfunction and end-stage kidney disease and/or acute kidney injury, and it usually manifests soon after starting treatment. Early identification and monitoring of risk factors and symptoms should lead the physician to a rapid withdrawal of the offending drug.

Cytomegalovirus and Hemolytic Anemia in an Immunocompetent Adult.

Hemolytic anemia is an increasingly recognized complication of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in immunocompetent patients. Although it is thought to be immune-mediated, other mechanisms have been proposed. The decision to treat is controversial but it may include antiviral and immunosuppressive therapy. We report a case of CMV-induced hemolytic anemia in a previously healthy 55-year-old woman. The patient presented with asthenia and choluria, and laboratory tests showed severe anemia with hyperbilirubinemia and elevated lactate dehydrogenase. A diagnosis of hemolytic anemia was made. Structural, enzymatic, toxic, pharmacological, and neoplastic causes were excluded. The CMV immunoglobulin M was positive, with a negative direct antiglobulin test. The patient had an improvement in clinical and laboratory status without any treatment, and two months later she had a full recovery of the anemia. This case illustrates that CMV infection might be associated with severe organ damage in immunocompetent patients but has an overall good prognosis without any directed treatment.

Flash Pulmonary Edema: A Rare Presentation of Graves' Disease.

Graves' disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. It has an autoimmune basis with the activating thyrotropin-receptor antibodies inducing thyroid hormone overproduction. The most common manifestations of hyperthyroidism are weight loss, fatigue, heat intolerance, tremor, and palpitations, but there are several other symptoms and signs associated with this condition. We report a case of a young woman who presented in the emergency room with acute onset of cough with mild hemoptysis and dyspnea at rest. She reported one month of insomnia, palpitations, and anxiety. The diagnostic investigation leads to the diagnosis of Graves' disease in thyrotoxic crisis presenting with flash pulmonary edema. Therapy with propranolol and methimazole was instituted with remarkable clinical improvement.

Neurolisteriosis: The Importance of a Prompt Diagnosis.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a prevalent disease that may need immunosuppressant treatment, which increases the risk of an opportunistic infection. We present the case of a woman with corticosteroid-resistant ITP who was electively admitted to the hospital to initiate second-line treatment. On the second day, she presented with a high fever and altered mental status, with no lesions on the cerebral tomography and inconclusive cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Nonetheless, she was promptly started on empiric antibiotics for meningitis which were then adjusted for Listeria monocytogenes, isolated in blood culture. The cerebral magnetic resonance showed signs of cerebritis and pyogenic foci. The patient was discharged after 73 days of treatment, asymptomatic and with no neurological sequelae. The mortality rate of neurolisteriosis can be as high as 50%. The median time between the initial symptoms and their detection is seven days, with many patients already developing cerebral abscesses. The favorable outcome of this patient was due to the precocious detection and start of the treatment.

Surviving Extreme Anaemia.

Before the development of transfusion medicine, severe anaemia was an important cause of morbidity and mortality. The discovery of haematopoietic mechanisms and essential nutrients made it possible to easily treat and prevent this condition. Nevertheless, it is often fatal in patients presenting with extreme anaemia (haemoglobin levels <2 g/dl). We report the rare case of a 54-year-old woman who presented with profound megaloblastic anaemia (haemoglobin of 1.7 g/dl) due to vitamin B12 deficiency, and was successfully treated. LEARNING POINTS: The discovery of vitamin B12 in the 20th century led to the successful and easy treatment of thousands of patients with anaemia.Focus on patient adherence to treatment and medical advice is essential in order to manage chronic conditions such as post-gastrectomy nutritional deficiencies.Extreme anaemia is very rare and associated with high mortality; treatment should be tailored to acute or chronic anaemia and in cases where haemodynamic stability is guaranteed, a restrictive blood transfusion strategy should be considered to reduce the risk of complications.

Cochrane Corner: Antihypertensive efficacy of beta-1 selective beta blockers for primary hypertension. / Cochrane Corner: eficácia anti­hipertensora dos betabloqueadores seletivos beta­1 na hipertensão essencial.

Beta blockers are commonly used to treat hypertension. This Cochrane systematic review assessed the effect of beta-1 selective beta blockers on blood pressure (BP), pulse pressure (PP), heart rate (HR) and withdrawal due to adverse effects in patients with primary hypertension. Fifty-six randomized placebo-controlled trials were included, with a total of 7812 patients. These drugs reduced systolic/diastolic BP by 10/8 mmHg, PP by 2 mmHg and HR by 11 bpm; no difference was found between treatment and placebo regarding withdrawal due to adverse effects. Differences in efficacy were observed between the various beta-1 selective beta blockers, which may be due to methodological differences in the trials. The choice of an antihypertensive drug should take into account not only its efficacy in reducing BP but also its tolerability, its efficacy in preventing cardiovascular events, and other factors such as undesirable metabolic effects.

Suppression of Aldosterone Secretion After Recumbent Saline Infusion Does Not Exclude Lateralized Primary Aldosteronism.

Guidelines recommend suppression tests such as the saline infusion test (SIT) to ascertain the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA) in patients with a high aldosterone:renin ratio. However, suppression tests have only been evaluated in small retrospective series, and some experts consider that they are not helpful for the diagnosis of PA. In this study, we evaluated whether low post-SIT aldosterone concentrations do exclude lateralized PA. Between February 2009 and December 2013, 199 patients diagnosed with PA on the basis of 2 elevated aldosterone:renin ratio results and a high basal plasma or urinary aldosterone level or high post-SIT aldosterone level had a selective adrenal venous sampling. We used a selectivity index of 2 and a lateralization index of 4 to interpret the adrenal venous sampling results. Baseline characteristics of the patients were the following (percent or median): men 63%, 48 years old, office blood pressure 142/88 mm Hg, serum potassium 3.4 mmol/L, aldosterone:renin ratio 113 pmol/mU, plasma aldosterone concentration 588 pmol/L. The proportion of patients with lateralized adrenal venous sampling was 12 of 41 (29%) among those with post-SIT aldosterone <139 pmol/L (5 ng/dL) and 38 of 104 (37%) among those with post-SIT aldosterone <277 pmol/L (10 ng/dL). Post-SIT aldosterone levels were not associated with the blood pressure outcome of adrenalectomy. A low post-SIT aldosterone level cannot rule out lateralized PA, even with a low threshold (139 pmol/L). Adrenal venous sampling should be considered for patients who are eligible for surgery with elevated basal aldosterone levels even if they have low aldosterone concentrations after recumbent saline suppression testing.

Impact of Chronic Nitrate Therapy in Patients With Ischemic Heart Failure.

PURPOSE: There is a lack of knowledge on the effects of nitrates alone in heart failure (HF). We aimed to assess the impact of nitrates use in the occurrence of ischemic events in patients with ischemic HF attending an HF clinic. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of a cohort of 632 patients managed in an HF clinic between January 2000 and December 2011. Patients with ischemic etiology were selected (n = 290). Patients were classified according to chronic nitrates use (n = 83 nitrates users vs n = 194) and followed up for 5 years for the occurrence of fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke. RESULTS: Nitrates users had more frequently diabetes, dyslipidemia, and higher body mass index but were less frequently treated with statins. Thirty adverse events were recorded (n = 16 in nitrates group). Variables significantly associated with the occurrence of the end point in univariate analysis were arterial hypertension, diabetes, and nitrates use. Male gender, beta-blockers, statin, and clopidogrel use had a protective effect on the occurrence of the end point. In multivariate analysis, nitrates use remained an independent predictor of adverse outcome when adjusted for each of the variables: arterial hypertension, gender, diabetes, beta-blocker, and clopidogrel use; however, when adjusted for statin use, nitrates were no longer associated with the outcome. CONCLUSION: Long-term nitrates use in patients with ischemic HF was associated with higher occurrence of ischemic events, defined as fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke. Our results, although from a retrospective analysis, do not support a role for chronic nitrate use in HF.

Oncology Referral Concerning Paediatric Neurosurgery? Analysis of the Situation between 2008-2013 in the North of Portugal.

INTRODUCTION: Primary central nervous system tumours represent the second most frequent neoplasm and are the leading cause of death from solid tumours in children. Our study aimed to provide the most up-to-date epidemiological analysis of primary central nervous system tumours in children living in the north of Portugal and to explore a possible effect of the centralisation of care on outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This population-based study included all newly diagnosed and histologically confirmed primary central nervous system tumours in people below 18 years old, living in the north of Portugal, from January 2008 to December 2013. Data were collected through access to clinical files. We described children and tumour characteristics, and analysed patient: paediatric neurosurgeon and histological tumour type: paediatric neurosurgeon ratios. RESULTS: A total of 147 cases was recorded. Mean age at diagnosis of primary central nervous system tumours was 8.0 ± 5.2 years. Astrocytomas were the most common histological type (34%). We found that World Health Organization Tumour Grade was the only variable of statistically significant influence in mortality (p = 0.001). 1-, 3- and 5-year survivals related to 2008-2013 period were statistically higher than 2005 - 2007. Astrocytomas have the highest survival rate, with statistically significant difference from other tumours (p = 0.015). We estimated a mean of 12.25 treated cases per year by each paediatric neurosurgeon at our institution. DISCUSSION: Our results are globally consistent with those published all over the world, but we reported the highest survival rates. The number of cases treated per year by each neurosurgeon is accordant to the recommended. CONCLUSION: We showed an improvement when comparing to data previous to 2008 and better results than those from previous studies, namely higher survival at 1-, 3- and 5-years from the diagnosis, with low complication and relapsing rates. Therefore, the referral of primary central nervous system tumours cases to centres with larger experience can be invaluable for the achievement of the best outcomes.

Introdução: Os tumores primários do sistema nervoso central representam o segundo grupo de neoplasias mais frequente e são a principal causa de morte devido a tumores sólidos em crianças. O nosso estudo teve como objetivos realizar a mais atualizada análise epidemiológica desta doença no norte de Portugal e avaliar o possível benefício da centralização de cuidados. Material e Métodos: Este estudo de base populacional incluiu todos os tumores primários do sistema nervoso central diagnosticados e histologicamente confirmados em indivíduos menores de 18 anos de idade, que residem no norte do país, desde Janeiro 2008 até Dezembro 2013. Os dados foram obtidos por meio da avaliação dos processos clínicos dos doentes. Nós descrevemos as características das crianças e dos seus tumores e analisámos os quocientes doente: neurocirurgião pediátrico e tipo histológico de tumor: neurocirurgião pediátrico e as taxas de sobrevivência, mortalidade, complicações e recidiva. Resultados: Foram registados 147 casos. A média de idade ao diagnóstico foi de 8,0 ± 5,2 anos. Os astrocitomas foram o tipo histológico mais frequentemente encontrado (34%). O tipo histológico foi a única variável com influência estatisticamente significativa na mortalidade (p = 0,001). As sobrevivências a um, três e cinco anos relativas ao período entre 2008 - 2013 foram estatisticamente superiores às do intervalo entre 2005 - 2007. Os astrocitomas apresentam a mais alta taxa de sobrevivência, sendo estatisticamente diferente dos outros tipos de tumor (p = 0,015). Estimámos uma média de 12,25 casos tratados anualmente por neurocirurgião pediátrico no nosso hospital. Discussão: Os nossos resultados são, globalmente, consistentes com os encontrados na literatura mundial, mas registrámos taxas de sobrevivência mais altas. O número de casos tratados por neurocirurgião pediátrico está de acordo com o recomendado. Conclusão: Demonstrámos que houve melhoria dos outcomes em estudo em relação aos obtidos previamente a 2008 e aos reportados por outros estudos, nomeadamente taxas de sobrevivência a um, três e cinco anos após o diagnóstico mais elevadas, com índices de complicações e recidiva baixos. Neste sentido, a referenciação destes casos para centros de vasta experiência pode ser de valor inestimável para se obter os melhores resultados.

Translation and cultural adaptation of the Hill-Bone Compliance to High Blood Pressure Therapy Scale to Portuguese.

INTRODUCTION: Hypertension is an extremely prevalent disease worldwide and hypertension control rates remain low. Lack of adherence contributes to poor control and to cardiovascular events. No questionnaire in Portuguese is readily available for the assessment of adherence to antihypertensive drugs. We aimed to perform a translation and cultural adaptation to Portuguese of the Hill-Bone Compliance to High Blood Pressure Therapy Scale, a validated instrument to measure adherence in hypertensive patients. METHODS: A formal process was employed, consisting of a forward translation by two independent translators and a back translation by a third translator. Discrepancies were resolved after each step. Hypertensive patients were involved to identify and resolve phrasing and wording difficulties and misunderstandings. RESULTS: The forward and back translation did not produce significant discrepancies. However, important issues were identified when the questionnaire was presented to patients, which led to changes in the wording of the questions and in the format of the questionnaire. CONCLUSION: Questionnaires are important instruments to assess adherence to therapy, particularly in hypertension. A formal translation and cultural adaptation process ensures that the new version maintains the same concepts as the original. After translation, several changes were necessary to ensure that the questionnaire was understandable by elderly, low literacy patients, such as the majority of hypertensive patients. We propose a Portuguese version of the Hill-Bone Compliance Scale, which will require validation in further studies.

Gender and obesity modify the impact of salt intake on blood pressure in children.

BACKGROUND: Most modifiable risk factors for high blood pressure (BP), such as obesity and salt intake, are imprinted in childhood and persist into adulthood. The aim of our study was to evaluate the intake of salt in children and to assess its impact on BP taking into account gender and nutritional status. METHODS: A total of 298 children aged 8-9 years were evaluated in a cross-sectional study. Anthropometric measurements and 24-h ambulatory monitoring were performed, and salt intake was determined by 24-h urinary sodium excretion. RESULTS: The average estimated salt intake among the entire cohort of children enrolled in the study was 6.5 ± 2.2 g/day, and it was significantly higher in boys than in girls (6.8 ± 2.4 vs. 6.1 ± 1.9 g/day, respectively; p = 0.018) and in overweight/obese children than in normal weight children (6.8 ± 2.4 vs. 6.1 ± 2.0 g/day, respectively; p = 0.006). Salt intake exceeded the upper limit of the US Dietary Reference Intake in 72% of children. Daytime systolic BP increased by 1.00 mmHg (95% confidence interval 0.40-1.59) per gram of daily salt intake in overweight/obese boys, but not in normal weight boys or in girls. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate an extremely high salt intake among 8- to 9-year-old Portuguese children. Higher salt intake was associated with higher systolic BP in boys, specifically in those who were overweight/obese. Longitudinal studies are needed to further evaluate the causal relationship between obesity and high BP and the mechanism by which salt intake modulates this relationship. Nonetheless, based on our results, we urge that dietary salt reduction interventions, along with measures to fight the global epidemic of obesity, be implemented as early in life as possible.

[Analysis of the Cochrane Review: Angiotensin Converging Enzyme Inhibitors Versus Angiotensin Receptor Blockers for Primary Hypertension. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014,8: CD009096]. / Análise da Revisão Cochrane: Inibidores da Enzima de Conversão da Angiotensina Versus Antagonistas do Receptor da Angiotensina como Prevenção Cardiovascular na Hipertensão Essencial. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014,8: CD009096.

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers are first line drugs in the treatment of hypertension. The aim of this review was to assess if there are differences between these drug classes regarding the prevention of total mortality, occurrence of cardiovascular events and of adverse effects. A systematic review and metanalysis was performed, searching for studies that compare angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers face-to-face, in several databases until July 2014. The study selection and data extraction were performed by 2 independent researchers. Nine studies were included, with a total of 10 963 participants, 9 398 of which participated in the same study and had high cardiovascular risk. No differences were observed regarding total mortality, cardiovascular mortality or total cardiovascular events. A slightly smaller risk was observed with angiotensin receptor blockers regarding withdrawal due to adverse effects (55 people were needed to be treated with angiotensin receptor blockers for 4.1 years to avoid one withdrawal due to adverse effect), mainly due to the occurrence of dry cough with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. Thus, no differences were observed between angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers in the prevention of total mortality and cardiovascular events, and angiotensin receptor blockers were better tolerated. Given the large proportion of participants with a high cardiovascular risk, the generalization of these results to other populations is limited.

Os inibidores da enzima de conversão da angiotensina e os antagonistas do receptor da angiotensina são fármacos de primeira linha no tratamento da hipertensão arterial. O objectivo desta revisão foi avaliar se existem diferenças entre estas classes farmacológicas na prevenção de mortalidade total, ocorrência de eventos cardiovasculares e ocorrência de efeitos adversos. Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática com metanálise, pesquisando estudos que comparassem directamente inibidores da enzima de conversão da angiotensina e antagonistas do receptor da angiotensina em diversas bases de dados até Julho de 2014. A selecção dos estudos e extracção de dados foram realizadas por dois investigadores de forma independente. Foram incluídos nove estudos, com um total de 10 963 participantes, dos quais 9 398 provêm do mesmo estudo, que incluiu apenas participantes com alto risco cardiovascular. Não se verificaramdiferenças quanto a mortalidade total, quanto a mortalidade de causa cardiovascular, nem quanto a eventos cardiovascularestotais. Verificou-se um risco ligeiramente menor para os antagonistas do receptor da angiotensina quanto à exclusão de participantes por efeitos adversos (necessário tratar 55 pessoas com antagonistas do receptor da angiotensina durante 4,1 anos para evitar uma exclusão por efeito adverso), principalmente devido à ocorrência de tosse seca com os inibidores da enzima de conversão da angiotensina.Assim, não se encontraram diferenças entre inibidores da enzima de conversão da angiotensina e antagonistas do receptor da angiotensina na prevenção de mortalidade total e eventos cardiovasculares, tendo os antagonistas do receptor da angiotensina apresentado melhor tolerabilidade. Dada a grande proporção de participantes com alto risco cardiovascular, a generalização destes resultados a outras populações é limitada.

Deciphering the Role of Vasopressin in Primary Aldosteronism.

CONTEXT: The role of vasopressin (AVP) in the pathophysiology of primary aldosteronism (PA) remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: The primary aim of this study was to investigate AVP secretion in PA by measuring the plasma concentration of copeptin (PCop), the C-terminal portion of provasopressin. The secondary aim was to assess renal sensitivity to AVP. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a cross-sectional study in a tertiary-care hospital. PROTOCOL: We recruited 115 patients with PA, 48 patients with essential hypertension (EH), and 108 normotensive healthy subjects (HS). Blood was sampled for biochemical and hormonal evaluations in fasting condition after 1-h rest in supine position. Osmolality was determined in 24-h urine. PCop was determined by immunoassay. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The main outcome measure was adjusted difference in PCop between groups. RESULTS: After adjustment for sex, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, natremia, and kalemia, PCop was significantly higher in patients with PA than in HS (geometric mean ratio, 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-2.06; P < .0001) and patients with EH (1.40; 95% CI, 1.08-1.82; P = .0070) PCop was positively correlated with natremia (P = .0094). Urine osmolality was significantly lower in patients with PA than in HS (0.82; 95% CI, 0.74-0.92; P = .0002) and 24-h urinary output was significantly higher in patients with PA than in HS (1.32; 95% CI, 1.11-1.56; P = .0005). The relationship between urine osmolality and PCop was shifted downward in patients with PA but was similar in patients with EH and HS, indicating peripheral resistance to AVP. CONCLUSION: PCop increases in patients with PA in response to an increase in natremia and a renal resistance phenomenon, indicating that AVP release is chronically stimulated in PA.

Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT): dissemination and applications in primary care.

Asthma frequently occurs in association with allergic rhinitis and a combined management approach has been suggested. The Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) is the first questionnaire to assess control of both diseases concurrently. However, to have an impact on healthcare it needs to be disseminated and adopted. In this paper we discuss the dissemination of CARAT in different countries and its possible applications in primary care. At present, the adaptation of CARAT for use in different languages and cultures is being led by volunteer researchers and clinicians in 15 countries. Website and smartphone applications have been developed, and a free open model of distribution was adopted to contribute to the dissemination of CARAT. Examples of dissemination activities include distribution of leaflets and posters, educational sessions on the use of the questionnaire in the follow-up of patients, development of clinical studies, collaborations with professional organisations and health authorities, and the inclusion of CARAT in clinical guidelines. The adoption of innovations is an important challenge in healthcare today, and research on the degree of success of dissemination strategies using suitable methods and metrics is much needed. We propose that CARAT can be used in a range of settings and circumstances in primary care for clinical, research and audit purposes, within the overall aim of increasing awareness of the level of disease control and strengthening the partnership between patients and doctors in the management of asthma and rhinitis.

Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) can be used to assess individual patients over time.

BACKGROUND: The Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT10) has been proposed as the first tool to implement the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma initiative guidelines in clinical practice. To serve this purpose, it must have adequate properties to assess the control of an individual over time. This study aimed to prospectively assess the test-retest reliability, responsiveness and longitudinal validity of CARAT10. METHODS: Adults with asthma and allergic rhinitis were enrolled at 4 outpatient clinics of Portuguese central hospitals. At each of the two visits, 4 to 6 weeks apart, patients filled out CARAT10 and additional questionnaires, followed by a medical evaluation blinded to the questionnaires' answers. RESULTS: From the 62 patients included, 51 patients completely filled out CARAT10 at both visits. The test-retest reliability, computed as an intra-class correlation coefficient, was 0.82. Regarding responsiveness, a significant change (p = 0.002) of CARAT10 score in clinically unstable patients was observed (95%CI -5.08; -1.31) and the Guyatt's responsiveness index was 1.54. As for the longitudinal validity assessment, the correlation coefficients of the changes of CARAT10 scores with those of ACQ5 and symptoms VAS ranged from 0.49 to 0.65, while with the physician assessment of control they ranged from 0.31 to 0.41. CONCLUSION: CARAT10 has good test-retest reliability, responsiveness and longitudinal validity. It can be used to assess control of allergic rhinitis and asthma, both to compare groups in clinical studies and to evaluate individual patients in clinical practice.

Control of allergic rhinitis and asthma test--a formal approach to the development of a measuring tool.

BACKGROUND: The concurrent management of allergic rhinitis and asthma (ARA) has been recommended by Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines. However, a tool capable of assessing simultaneously the control of upper and lower airways diseases is lacking. AIM: To describe the studies conducted to design the control of ARA test (CARAT) questionnaire. METHODS: We performed a literature review to generate a list of potentially important items for the assessment of control of ARA. A formal consensus development process, that used an innovative web-based application, was designed - 111 experts in ARA and 60 patients participated. At the final consensus meeting, 25 primary and secondary care physicians formulated the questions and response options. A qualitative feasibility study (n = 31 patients) was conducted to evaluate the comprehensibility of the questionnaire while testing two different designs. RESULTS: Thirty-four potentially important items were identified. All the steps of the consensus process were completed in 2.5 months. The opinions of experts and patients lead to the formulation of 17 questions. At the feasibility study the instructions and wording problems were corrected and a semi-tabular format was chosen. CONCLUSION: A tool to measure the control of allergic rhinitis and asthma was developed using a comprehensive set of methodological steps ensuring the design quality and the face and content validity. Additional validation studies to assess the psychometric properties of the questionnaire have started.