title: [Diagnosis of allergic diseases. Contribution of the Zurich Allergy Unit 1948-1998].
abstract: The term allergy has been defined at the beginning of the century, but is often used in a too general manner today. A prerequisite for an exact diagnosis is also the correct use of a term. The evaluation of a putative allergic disorder involves several steps: taking of a thorough history, objectivation of clinical signs, performance of skin tests measurement of allergen-specific and possibly total IgE and if necessary performance of provocation tests. The clinical importance of the test methods varies and their indication should be based on history and clinical findings. Only the synthesis of all results makes a complete diagnosis possible. Physicians, nurses and laboratory technicians who have worked between 1948 and 1998 at the Allergy Clinic in Zurich, have made considerable contributions to the development and the evaluation of allergy diagnosis. After a short introduction to the history of allergy, selected publications from the Allergy Clinic in Zurich are presented and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Allergologische Poliklinik, Dermatologische Universitätsklinik, Kantonsspital Basel.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bircher
mesh_terms: D000486:Allergy and Immunology / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000266:history*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000266:history*; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000266:history*; D013557:Switzerland
vernacular_title: Diagnostik allergischer Krankheiten. Der Beitrag der Allergiestation Zürich 1948-1998.