Premium
Simultaneous intradermal testing with hymenoptera venoms is safe and more efficient than sequential testing
Author(s) -
Strohmeier B.,
Aberer W.,
Bokanovic D.,
Komericki P.,
Sturm G. J.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/all.12123
Subject(s) - medicine , sting , venom , allergy , hymenoptera , sensitization , skin test , dermatology , intradermal injection , anaphylaxis , anesthesia , immunology , biology , pathology , ecology , tuberculosis , botany , engineering , aerospace engineering
Background According to current guidelines, skin testing for hymenoptera venom allergy should be performed in a stepwise manner, maintaining 15‐ to 20‐min intervals between the injections of venom. Given the long‐winded procedure of sequential skin testing, we retrospectively explored the safety of simultaneous intradermal testing. Methods Four hundred and seventy‐eight consecutive patients with a convincing history of an anaphylactic reaction after a hymenoptera sting were tested. All venom concentrations (0.02 ml of 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 μg/ml of honey bee and wasp venom) were administered simultaneously to the skin. Results Four hundred and seventy‐two (98.7%) patients tolerated the simultaneous intradermal test without any side‐effects. Only three subjects (0.6%) had a presumed allergic reaction during the test; another three reactions were considered vasovagal. Conclusion Our skin test protocol with four simultaneously injected concentrations of two hymenoptera venoms is safe and permits the investigator to draw rapid conclusions about the individual's sensitization pattern.