title: Allergy Testing.
abstract: Allergic diseases are common in outpatient primary care. Allergy testing can guide management to determine allergy as a cause of symptoms and target therapeutic interventions. This article provides a review of common methods of allergy testing available so that physicians may counsel and refer patients appropriately. Immediate-type hypersensitivity skin tests can be used for airborne allergens, foods, insect stings, and penicillin. Radioallergosorbent testing can be used to evaluate immediate-type hypersensitivity. Delayed-type hypersensitivity or patch-type skin tests are used in patients with suspected contact dermatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) McKeesport Family Medicine Residency, 2347 Fifth Avenue, McKeesport, PA 15132, USA.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tourlas
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) McKeesport Family Medicine Residency, 2347 Fifth Avenue, McKeesport, PA 15132, USA. Electronic address: burmand@upmc.edu.
authors.forename: Deepa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burman
mesh_terms: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D007073:Immunoglobulin E
keywords: Allergen; Allergy testing; IgE hypersensitivity; Intradermal testing; In vitro allergy testing; Patch testing; Skin prick testing