This very important article appeared in the NY Times on March 20, 2007. Anyone who is to be skin tested for allergies or has a child in that category should read it carefully. We are going to ask some of our colleagues to comment on this. Please check the comment section.
"Allergists have typically turned to blood testing as a last resort when skin testing cannot be used. Few in the United States use blood testing routinely, experts say, though it is being used more often to help diagnose food allergies. Yet studies have found that newer blood tests are as sensitive as skin tests [for diagnosing allergies] and less subjective.
The blood test is also part of a larger debate about who should be treating allergy sufferers. Blood testing would allow pediatricians and other primary care doctors to diagnose allergies and treat many patients. But allergists contend that these generalists are not qualified to assess the laboratory results."
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