title: EAACI position paper: skin prick testing in the diagnosis of occupational type I allergies.
abstract: Skin prick testing (SPT) in combination with the clinical history of the patient is one important step in the diagnosis of IgE-mediated occupational allergies. However, skin test performance is related to the quality of allergen extracts. The present consensus document was prepared by an EAACI Task Force consisting of an expert panel of allergologists and occupational physicians from Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Austria, and Poland. All members of the panel were also involved in the data collection within the European multicentre study STADOCA (Standard diagnosis for occupational allergy). The aim of this Task Force was the assessment of the quality of commercially available SPT solutions for selected occupational allergens under standardized procedure conditions in different European centres and institutes of Occupational Medicine. The data evaluation shows a wide variability among SPT solutions and also indicates that the sensitivity of several SPT solutions is low. Therefore, improvement and standardization of SPT solutions for occupational allergens is highly recommended. Clinical practitioners should also not presume that their SPT solutions are fully reliable. The main objective of the document is to issue consensus suggestions for the use of SPT with occupational allergens based on the European multicentre study STADOCA, on existing scientific evidence and the expertise of a panel of allergologists.
authors: Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Ruhr-University Bochum IPA, Bochum, Germany.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: van Kampen
authors: F
authors: F
authors: de Blay
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Folletti
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Kobierski
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Moscato
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Olivieri
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Quirce
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Sastre
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Walusiak-Skorupa
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Raulf-Heimsoth
mesh_terms: D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards