Abstract: OBJECTIVE:Allergic rhinitis(AR) is a common health problem.Summer acupoint application treatment(SAAT) is reported to effectively treat and prevent AR from seasonal onset.In the present study,we aimed to evaluate its effects,especially on the course of AR,through a retrospective study.METHOD:A cross-sectional multicenter study was performed based on patients treated between 2008 and 2009 in 13 clinical centers in China.A total of 1058 outpatients aged ≥2 years with documented AR and ≥1 year SAAT were eligible for enrollment.A case report form(CRF) was completed by both patient and doctor.The CRF was designed to collect data on the patient's history of SAAT,AR condition,and self-reported health condition.The outcomes(dependent variables) were incidence and intensity of AR and concomitant medications used.Data were analyzed with ordinal logistic regression(OLR).RESULTS:Treatment course and seasonal pattern of AR were related to all dependent variables positively.After controlling for sample bias and confounding factors,the findings suggested that a 3-year treatment course had better efficacy(OR/incidence of AR:2.57,95%CI:1.76-3.76;OR/intensity of AR:2.17,95%CI:1.50-3.17;OR/concomitant medications:2.20,95% CI:1.50-3.23) compared with a 2-year or less treatment course.CONCLUSION:The results showed that:1)the length of treatment course was positively associated with the efficacy of SAAT(the longer the treatment course,the better the efficacy);and 2)SAAT was more efficacious in treating seasonal AR than non-seasonal AR.

Key words: Acupoint sticking therapy, Allergic rhinitis, Cross-sectional studies, Traditional Chinese Medicine