New study shows delaying skin prick testing for food allergy after anaphylaxis might not be necessary
- 07 May 2024
- Healthcare News
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- Research
The need for a delay in skin prick testing after an anaphylactic reaction might be unnecessary, according to a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice this April.
It has been recommended to delay skin prick testing after an anaphylactic reaction due to a delay in accuracy and the possibility of false-negatives, but existing literature has only demonstrated the risk for a false negative skin test in reactions to insect stings and certain drugs. This study aimed to find out if food-induced allergic reactions also had the possibility of false-negative test results.
This study included 24 patients under the age of 18 and looked at the number of false negative results at two time points – two weeks and 28 days after a reaction. The results showed that all participants had a positive reaction to a skin prick test to their food allergen at both time points. There were no false-negative results.
The authors said “this suggests there is no need to delay a skin test for fear of a false negative result” and hope to confirm the findings with larger studies.
Read more The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice
