The Basophil Activation Test (BAT): A Game-Changing Tool for Food Allergy Diagnosis

Basophil Activation Test (BAT) in Food Allergy

Diagnosing food allergies accurately remains one of the biggest challenges in allergy medicine. Traditional approaches like skin prick tests (SPT) and specific IgE blood tests can tell us if someone is sensitized to a food, but they don’t always predict whether that person will actually have an allergic reaction. Meanwhile, oral food challenges (OFCs)—the gold standard—are time-consuming, expensive, and carry real risks of severe reactions. Enter the Basophil Activation Test (BAT): a revolutionary diagnostic tool that’s changing how we approach food allergy diagnosis. 🧪 What Makes BAT Different? BAT is…

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Drug Allergy Testing: A Comprehensive Guide

Available Drug Allergy Skin Tests Drug allergy skin tests play a crucial role in diagnosing potential allergic reactions to medications. Among the most common tests are the prick test, intradermal test, and patch test. Each of these tests has specific methodologies, applications, and diagnostic capabilities. The prick test, also known as a scratch test, is frequently used to identify immediate allergic reactions. During this test, a small amount of the suspected allergen is placed on the skin, usually on the forearm or back, and the skin is lightly pricked with…

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