Background Peanut allergy (PA) places significant burden on peanut-allergic individuals and their families, yet limited research in the United States has quantitatively examined the impact on peanut-allergic individuals and their families’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The Peanut Allergy Burden Study (PABS) aimed to quantify the impact of PA on the general and disease-specific HRQoL of children, adolescents, and adults with PA, as well as caregivers of children with PA. Methods A cross-sectional survey design was employed to examine the real-world impact of PA in children, adolescents, and adults with PA, and caregivers of children with PA. Results Of 153 adult patients, 102 adolescents, and 382 caregivers of peanut-allergic children (n = 382), 6.8% and 24.8% of participants indicated being dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied, respectively, with current approaches to avoid or prevent PA reactions. Approximately two-thirds of patients and caregivers indicated that PA interferes at least somewhat with daily living. In terms of general HRQoL, adolescents, adult patients, and caregivers indicated that mental/psychosocial health was more problematic than physical health. PA patients and caregivers indicated worse HRQoL in all domains compared to healthy samples, and worse overall HRQoL, psychosocial, emotional, and social functioning than a sample of chronically ill patients. Results from the allergy-specific HRQoL measures showed that adolescents experienced greater impairment in overall HRQoL due to PA and in allergen avoidance and dietary restriction than adults. Conclusion PA negatively affects the general and PA-specific HRQoL of both patients and caregivers. The high emotional and psychosocial burden, in particular, demonstrates significant unmet need for patients with PA and their caregivers. Future work on treatment and preventive options to improve HRQoL for PA patients, particularly adolescents and their families, is needed.

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Heats of immersion in liquid water of Na-Zeolon exchanged with alkali metal, alkaline earth, Ag+, T1+ and Pb2+ ions are reported. The levels of ion exchange of Zeolon are shown to depend markedly on the degree of hydration of the cations. The heat data show that the Li+, Ca*+, Mg2+ and Sr2+ ions are located in the main channels after the immersion process and that the magnitude of the heats are governed by the energy of solvation of the cations by the anhydrous lattice. Correlations between the heats and cationic radii are shown to exist and these correlations could be useful for interpolation purposes.

Background There is limited research demonstrating the real-world economic burden of peanut allergy (PA) in the United States. The Peanut Allergy Burden Study (PABS) is a cross-sectional quantitative survey designed to determine the real-world experience of patients and caregivers with PA. The objective of the study was to understand the real-world utilization of PA-related healthcare resources and the impact of PA on productivity. Methods Participants completed an online survey to examine the real-world 12-month and lifetime healthcare utilization and past week productivity impact of PA in children (as reported by caregiver proxy), adolescents with PA, adults with PA, and caregivers of children with PA. Results Healthcare resource use over the past 12 months was frequent for adults (n = 153), adolescents (n = 102), and children (as reported by caregivers) (n = 382) with PA. Patients and caregivers reported the following rates of PA-related utilization in the past 12 months: at least 3 regular allergist appointments (28.8%–39.3%), unscheduled allergist appointments (15.6%–18.3%), general practitioner appointments (16.7%–24.2%), over-the-counter (OTC) medication usage (28.5%–35.7%), and epinephrine autoinjector usage (17.7%–26.2%). Additionally, over half of patients and caregivers reported ≥1 PA-related emergency department (ED)/urgent care visit (57.5%–59.9%), overnight hospital admission (36.3%–47.4%), IV epinephrine use (37.2%–52.3%), or intubation (26.2%–39.8%) over the past 12 months for PA. Healthcare resource use was high among all groups. Regarding productivity, PA significantly impacted household work, schoolwork, and employed work for patients and caregivers. PA-related reactions also impacted school attendance of children with PA. Conclusion Many healthcare resources were utilized by patients with PA and there was a loss of productivity associated with PA for patients and caregivers. New treatments to prevent or lower the risk of PA reactions could potentially help reduce healthcare resource utilization and PA-related productivity loss among patients and their families, particularly for patients for whom avoidance as a treatment strategy has not been reliable.