Modern approaches to treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria in adult patients

Objective — to study and analyze thematic publications on aspects of etiopathogenesis and modern approaches to the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria in adult patients. Materials and methods. A study and analysis of current domestic and foreign publications was conducted on aspects of the etiopathogenesis and treatment of chronic urticaria, including the recommendations of the National Health Service of the United Kingdom (NHS, 2020) for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria in adult patients, based on principles of evidence­based medicine. Results and discussion. According to domestic and foreign publications, urticaria affects about 15—20 % of the population, while in recent years the number of chronic forms of dermatosis resistant to treatment (registered in about 2 % of the population) is increasing, which reduces the capability for work and quality of life of patients. In more than half of the patients the probable cause of chronic urticaria cannot be determined, which indicates the development of a spontaneous (idiopathic) form of dermatosis. First­line drugs for the treatment of chronic urticaria are non­sedative H1­antihistamines of the second generation, which, however, in many patients do not provide a positive clinical effect in standard doses. In the European recommendations, to increase the effectiveness of treatment of patients with torpid forms of chronic urticaria, it is proposed to increase the daily dose of antihistamines by 4 times. According to NHS recommendations (2020), created on evidence­based medicine, adult patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria are recommended to use a cost­ and clinically effective second­generation antihistamine cetirizine as first­line therapy which is prescribed step by step with increasing daily dose by 2—4 times. Conclusions. Chronic urticaria is a serious medical and social problem today. More than half of patients with chronic urticaria are those having spontaneous (idiopathic) form of dermatosis. H1­antihistamines of the second generation are the first­line therapy for chronic urticaria, but due to the lack of a positive effect in some patients when using their standard doses, it is recommended to increase their daily doses by 4 times. According to NHS recommendations (2020), adult patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria are recommended an efficient and cost­effective second­generation antihistamine cetirizine as first­line (dose­increasing) therapy.