Effectiveness and safety of antihistamines up to fourfold or higher in treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria

Table 1 Frequencies of up-dosing (a) and effectiveness of antihistamine dosages higher than fourfold (b)

(b) Effectiveness of antihistamine dosages higher than fourfold ^b
Symptoms	Insufficient* n (%)	Sufficient n (%)	No symptoms n (%)	Total n (%)
AE only	2 (33)	2 (33)	2 (33)	6 (100%)
Wheals only	7 (58)	3 (25)	2 (17)	12 (100%)
AE and wheals	12 (38)	14 (44)	6 (19)	32 (100%)

* One patient suffering wheals only reported no effect of up-dosing to fivefold or higher, this case is included in the group of patients with insufficient effect. There was no statistically significant difference in treatment result between the three groups (Fischer’s exact p = 0.530) nor in those with wheals only (included for analysis: n = 17) and AE only (n = 7, Fischer’s exact p = 0.620)
^aPercentages are shown per row to enable comparison between diagnoses groups. Patients are shown in their maximum dosage group, thus patients who received fivefold or higher have previously been treated with lower doses. Numbers therefore differ from Fig. 1. There was no statistically significant difference in frequency of up-dosing between the three groups (Chi square p = 0.053), and also not between those with wheals only (included for analysis: n = 35) and AE only (n = 28; Chi square p = 0.056). n.a. not applicable
^bPercentages are shown per row to enable comparison between diagnoses groups. Effect of treatment was unknown in nine patients, the numbers of patients therefore differ from Table 1a

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