Allergy Testing Advantages & Limitations

METHOD	ADVANTAGES	LIMITATIONS
Skin Testing	Immediate results Enables you to track delayed reactions Typically more sensitive than in-vitro tests Potential revenue stream to practice	More difficult for needle averse Not for all patient populations – infants, needle averse, severe anaphylaxis risk, skin disease Requires suspension of some medications before testing Not recommended for food testing diagnosis Staff and materials required
In Vitro Testing	Low risk for highly sensitive patients Requires little staff time or overhead Allows additional tests at a later date with serum sample Medication suspension not required before testing Ideal for testing food allergy Quantifiable measure Revenue stream in some states where allowed	Results available within 3-5 days Less sensitive than skin testing Can be more costly than skin testing