Autonomic Response Testing Compared With Immunoglobulin E Allergy Panel Test Results: Preliminary Report

Context • Chronically ill patients who have failed standard medical assessment and therapies are often assessed by integrative medical providers for atypical manifestations of allergies as the possible source or contributing factor(s) to their condition. Skin testing and immunoglobulin E (IgE) allergy panels increase the cost of care in these patients. Objective • The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of autonomic response testing (ART) as compared with IgE allergy panel blood tests. Design • This study was a retrospective chart review of patients who had ART and blood drawn for an IgE allergy panel at the same office visit. Outcome Measures • Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, overall accuracy, phi coefficient, and Cohen's kappa were calculated. Results • A total of 14 charts were reviewed. All measures of accuracy were of either useful or excellent strength. The strength of association measures of the phi coefficient and Cohen's kappa were strong. Conclusion • This first and preliminary evaluation of the allergy assessment utility of ART is very promising and reveals the need for more vigorous follow-up studies.