Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a significant public health concern in India, with a high prevalence across all age groups. This study aimed to gather clinicians’ perspectives on the use of a combination of montelukast and levocetirizine for managing AR and co-occurring asthma in Indian settings.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among clinicians using the 27-item questionnaire focused on their clinical observations and experiences with montelukast and levocetirizine in managing AR. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, with results presented as percentages and visualized through pie and bar charts.
Results: Out of 882 clinicians, approximately 64% of them stated that recurrent upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) might signal undiagnosed AR. Most of the respondents (81.63%) preferred a combination of antihistamines and leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) for long-term AR management. Most participants (90.48%) identified levocetirizine as their top choice among antihistamines. About 80% of the clinicians noted equal AR diagnosis rates across genders, with 90.93% observing symptom improvement in the morning. Around 72% of clinicians cited better patient compliance as a key benefit of the montelukast-levocetirizine combination. Additionally, 77% of clinicians favored this combination for asthma patients before initiating inhalation therapy.
Conclusion: The study highlights the widespread use of montelukast and levocetirizine for AR management, with strong clinician preference due to its efficacy and patient compliance benefits. Also, recurrent URTIs were identified as a potential indicator of undiagnosed AR, as well as the common presentation of concomitant conditions such as asthma and allergic conjunctivitis.
Keywords: Allergic rhinitis, Montelukast, Antihistamines, Levocetirizine, Leukotriene receptor antagonists.
