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Basophil Activation Test for Allergy Diagnosis
Published on: May 31, 2021
Allergy Testing - An Overview
Neeraj Gupta1, Poojan Agarwal2, Anil Sachdev3
1Division of Pediatric Emergency, Critical Care, Pulmonology and Allergic Disorders, Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Child Health, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Rajinder Nagar, Delhi, India. Correspondence to: Dr Neeraj Gupta, Consultant, Division of Pediatric Emergency, Critical Care, Pulmonology and Allergic Disorders, Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Child Health, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Rajinder Nagar, Delhi 110060, India. drneeraj1979@gmail.com.
Abstract:
Childhood allergies pose huge economic burden and adverse effects on quality of life. Serum IgE has been considered a surrogate allergy marker for decades. Availability of several over-the-counter allergy tests add to confusion of partially trained caregivers. The present review focuses on current status of allergy testing in Indian scenario. Various in-vitro and in-vivo diagnostic modalities are available for allergy detection. Skin prick tests are useful for aero-allergies whereas oral challenge tests are best for identifying suspected food allergies. An allergy test should be individualized based on clinical features, diagnostic efficacy, and cost-benefit analysis.
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