Skin Prick Testing in Clinical Practice

Dr Mary J Brydon, OBE FRCN RGN OHNC. Mary is an Allergy Nurse Practitioner, and started her career in allergy 16 years ago. In 1986 she set up the Norfolk Allergy Diagnostic and Advisory Service (NADAAS) and is currently providing a peripatetic service to over 80 GP surgeries and twelve hospital consultants in Norfolk. Mary is a member of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology and is currently a Trustee of the British Allergy Foundation and a member of the Medical Board. In 1998, Mary was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing for her contribution to managing allergy care and development of advanced nursing practice. 16 years allergy nurse practitioner

I Skin Prick Testing * History * What is allergy? * Basic Principles * Purpose of testing * Who can be tested & what influences the test results? * Reproducibility * II Solutions & The Lancet * Solutions for testing * Control solutions * The Lancet * III Procedure and Results * Preparation of patient * Equipment required * Site to be tested * Procedure * Recording the skin reaction * Interpreting the results * Unusual responses to skin prick tests * IV Allergy and the Patient * The Patient's main question * Safety of skin prick testing * V Summary * VI Appendices * Allergens * Allergy Assessment Questionnaires * Allergy Protocol * Glossary * References and further reading * Useful addresses