title: Food allergen panel testing often results in misdiagnosis of food allergy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the utility of food allergy panel testing among patients referred to a pediatric food allergy center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review of all new patients seen between September 2011 and December 2012 by 1 provider in a tertiary referral pediatric food allergy center. A cost analysis was performed to calculate the estimated cost of evaluation for patients who have received a food allergy panel.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 797 new patient encounters, 284 (35%) patients had received a food allergy panel. Only 90 (32.8%) individuals had a history warranting evaluation for food allergy; 126 individuals were avoiding a food based on recommendations from the referring provider and 112 (88.9%) were able to re-introduce at least 1 food into their diet. The positive predictive value of food allergy panel testing in this unselected population was 2.2%. The estimated cost of evaluation for this population was $79,412.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Food allergy panel testing often results in misdiagnosis of food allergy, overly restrictive dietary avoidance, and an unnecessary economic burden on the health system.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX. Electronic address: drew.bird@utsouthwestern.edu.
authors.forename: J Andrew
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bird
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy and Immunology, Children's Medical Center, Dallas, TX.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crain
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, Dallas, TX.
authors.forename: Pooja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Varshney
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000485:Allergens; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens