Urticaria Control Test Guidelines

Introduction to UCT

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology recommends using the Urticaria Control Test (UCT) to assess disease control in chronic urticaria, with a score ≥12 indicating well-controlled disease and scores <12 requiring treatment escalation 1, 2

The UCT consists of 4 questions, each with 5 answer options scored from 0 to 4 points, yielding a total score range of 0-16 points, and a score of ≥12 points indicates well-controlled disease, while a score of <12 points indicates poorly controlled disease 1, 6
The UCT scoring system uses a 5-point scale, with 0 points indicating "Very much" (worst control) or "Very often" (most frequent symptoms), and 4 points indicating "Not at all" (best control) or "Very well" (best controlled) 3, 2

The UCT should be administered at baseline and every follow-up visit to guide treatment decisions for patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) who develop wheals with or without angioedema 1, 6
For patients with angioedema (with or without wheals), use both the UCT and the Angioedema Control Test (AECT), with an AECT cutoff of 10 points for well-controlled disease 2, 5

The UCT assesses control (how well the disease is managed), while the 7-Day Urticaria Activity Score (UAS7) assesses activity (how severe the disease currently is), with the UAS7 requiring daily documentation of wheal count and pruritus severity for 7 consecutive days, yielding scores from 0-42 points 3, 7