A thirty-five year review of skin tests confirms that they remain the central tool in allergic response.
Analysis of the value to allergists of skin testing from papers published between 1970 and 2005 concludes that; when preformed and evaluated correctly, skin testing is the most effective diagnostic tool available for the confirmation of allergic disease. The test, however must be combined with a physical exam and notations of the patient’s medical history and social environment in order to give a sound basis for managing allergies and allergic disease.
The paper includes a clinical form and stepped procedure for clinical technicians on how best to record and evaluate skin tests. As house dust mites are known to be the major cause of allergy, worldwide, and the environment in which they thrive encourages moulds, and other allergy triggers, early skin prick testing, especially for children, is recommended.
‘Skin Testing’ John Oppenheirmer MD, Harold S Nelson MD Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2006;96 (Suppl.1): S6-S12
