Abstract: . . .  highly selected patients. A stepwise- therapeutic approach has been proposed depending on the subdivision and severity of allergic rhinitis. Patients with persistent allergic rhinitis should be evaluated for asthma by Oslo 2004 *abstractoslo 15-06-2004 10:10 Pagina 5 Page 8 6 Abstracts history, chest examination and, if possible and when necessary, the assessment of airflow obstruction before and after bronchodilator. Patients with asthma should be appropriately evaluated (history and physical examination) for rhini- tis. Ideally, a combined strategy should be used to treat upper and lower airway diseases in terms of efficacy and safety. Some drugs are effective for both rhinitis and asthma (e.g., glucocorticoste- roids), whereas others are only effective in the treatment of rhinitis or asthma (e.g., a - and -adrenergic agonists, respectively). Moreover, some drugs are more effective in rhinitis than in asthma (e.g., H1-antihistamines). Finally, opti- mal management of rhinitis may partly improve coexisting asthma. Intra-nasal glucocorticosteroids were found moderately to improve asthma in some, but not all, studies. Less is known about the beneficial effects of inhaled (intra-bron- chial) glucocorticosteroids on nasal disease. Drugs administered orally can influence both nasal and bronchial symptoms. Oral leukotriene receptor . . .
. . .  icology findings, as well as the risk and health impact assessment and the science-pol- icy interface, are developed in Working Groups. EFA is one of the AIRNET partners: the partnership consists of one co-ordinator, eight contractors (among which EFA) and 14 members. The contractors represent the sci- entific community as well as the stakeholders; they will lead most of the work done in the Working Groups. This position has given EFA the possibility to really influence the ongoing process, especially in the SciencePolicy Interface Working Group. The presentation of AIRNET will focus on the effort to establish an effective com- munication plan between scientists and non-scientists like policy makers, patients' advocates, the medical world and other stakeholders like industries. The final report of AIRNET will be presented in the 3rd AIRNET Conference in Prague (CZ), 21-24 October 2004. Some of the preliminary outcomes will be presented at the EFA Conference. For more information: http://airnet.iras.uu.nl Abstracts *abstractoslo 15-06-2004 10:10 Pagina 32 Page 35 33 PINCHE, Policy Interpretation Network for Childrens Health and Environment Edith M.A.L. Rameckers EFA Advisor, E.Ramec@inter.NL.net The Pinche Network, funded by the European Union, started in January 2003 and will exist for three years. . . .
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