Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 22, 2026
A Suction Blister Protocol to Study Human T-cell Recall Responses In Vivo
Published on: August 11, 2018
Prick-by-Prick Test with Pasteurised Cow's Milk: A Valuable Tool in Paediatric Practice
Ieva Adomaite1, Neringa Stirbiene2, Vilma Marciukaitiene2
1Clinic of Children's Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Insights
A prick-by-prick test using pasteurized cow's milk effectively predicts cow's milk allergy (CMA) in children. Implementing specific diagnostic thresholds enhances its value in pediatric practice for accurate CMA diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Diagnostic Testing
- Food Allergy Research
Background:
- Cow's milk allergy (CMA) is a common food allergy in children.
- Accurate diagnosis of CMA is crucial for effective management.
- Oral food challenges (OFCs) are the gold standard for diagnosing CMA but can be resource-intensive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the diagnostic utility of a prick-by-prick test using pasteurized cow's milk.
- To determine the predictive performance of this test in diagnosing CMA.
- To establish diagnostic thresholds for the prick-by-prick test in different age groups.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 86 pediatric patients undergoing pasteurized cow's milk OFCs.
- Evaluation of the prick-by-prick test's ability to predict positive OFC results.
- Calculation of threshold wheal diameters for high specificity and predictive probability in children ≤24 and >24 months.
Main Results:
- The prick-by-prick test demonstrated good classification of positive cow's milk OFC outcomes.
- A mean prick-by-prick test wheal diameter of ≥3 mm showed 100% sensitivity in both age groups.
- Specific thresholds (7-11 mm for ≤24 months, 11-17 mm for >24 months) indicated high specificity and 95% predictive probability.
Conclusions:
- The prick-by-prick test with pasteurized cow's milk is a valuable diagnostic tool for CMA.
- Implementing age-specific diagnostic thresholds improves the test's accuracy and clinical utility.
- This method offers a practical approach to diagnosing CMA in pediatric settings.
Background:
This study assessed the utility of a prick-by-prick test with pasteurised cow's milk in predicting a pasteurised cow's milk allergy (CMA) diagnosis.
Methods:
This was a retrospective study of 86 paediatric patients who had undergone open pasteurised cow's milk oral food challenges (OFCs). We evaluated the diagnostic performance of a prick-by-prick test with pasteurised cow's milk in predicting a positive OFC result. We calculated the threshold values representing high test specificity and predictive probability in children aged ≤24 and >24 months.
Results:
A prick-by-prick test with pasteurised cow's milk was a good classifier of a positive cow's milk OFC outcome. The mean prick - by - prick test wheal diameter ≥ 3 mm yielded 100% sensitivity in both groups of children. Thresholds representing high test specificity and 95% predicted probability were 7 and 11 mm in children ≤ 24 months and 11 and 17 mm in children > 24 months of age, respectively.
Conclusion:
A prick-by-prick test with pasteurised cow's milk is valuable in paediatric practice when diagnostic thresholds are implemented.
