Appropriate allergy testing and interpretation.

Creator(s)

Jay M. Portnoy, Children's Mercy HospitalFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-2011

Identifier

PMCID: PMC6188374

Abstract

In vitro tests for specific IgE allow primary care providers to do allergy testing, which can be helpful for allergic patients. Diagnostic testing for allergies is used to determine whether symptoms are caused by IgE antibodies and exposure to an allergen. The presence of IgE in the absence of symptoms does not indicate clinical allergy. Nonselective use of large panels of allergens can lead to false positives and misinterpretation of the results, particularly in food allergy.

Journal Title

Missouri medicine

Volume

108

Issue

5

First Page

339

Last Page

343

MeSH Keywords

Allergens; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Seasons; Sensitivity and Specificity; Skin Tests

Keywords

Allergens; Hypersensitivity; Seasons; Sensitivity and Specificity; Skin Tests

Recommended Citation

Portnoy JM. Appropriate allergy testing and interpretation. Mo Med. 2011;108(5):339-343.