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Utility of additional skin testing in "nonallergic" asthma
M A Sue1, E H Gordon, L H Freund
1Department of Allergy, Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Panorama City.
Annals of Allergy
|May 1, 1992
Summary
For "nonallergic" asthma patients, additional allergy skin testing is generally not beneficial. A limited survey panel rarely revealed hidden allergies in nonallergic asthmatics, suggesting current testing is sufficient.
Area of Science:
- Allergy and Immunology
- Pulmonology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Asthma is often presumed to have an allergic basis.
- Investigating hidden allergies in nonallergic asthma patients is crucial for effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of an expanded skin test panel for identifying allergies in patients diagnosed with nonallergic asthma.
- To determine if additional allergen testing reveals previously undetected allergic triggers.
Main Methods:
- 127 adult asthma patients underwent routine skin testing and an additional survey panel of seven tests.
- Allergens included common environmental triggers, molds, and pests.
- Patients were categorized as allergic or nonallergic based on routine testing.
Main Results:
- Routine testing identified 87% of patients as allergic and 13% as nonallergic.
- Only one nonallergic patient (6%) showed a positive result on the survey panel (cockroach).
- 62% of allergic patients had positive results on the survey panel, indicating its effectiveness in this group.
Conclusions:
- Additional skin testing with the survey panel is largely unhelpful for diagnosing allergies in nonallergic asthmatics.
- Cockroach allergy may be a potential exception, warranting further investigation.
- Current routine allergy testing appears adequate for identifying allergic asthma in most cases.