AllergyUKistheoperationalnameoftheBritishAllergyFoundation,acharitablecompanylimited

byguaranteeandregisteredinEnglandandWales.CharityNo:1094231.CompanyNo:4509293.
RegisteredinScotlandCharityNo:SCO39257
AllergyUKPlanwellHouseLEFABusinessParkEdgingtonWay Sidcup Kent DA145BH
1
www.allergyuk.org
SkinPrickTesting
SkinpricktestingorSPTdemonstratesanallergicresponsetoaspecificallergen.
Inconjunctionwithanallergyfocusedhistory,SPTcanhelptoconfirmthe
presenceofanallergytoeitherafoodorinhaledsubstance(allergen).
SPTisthemostcommonallergytestperformedinanallergyclinicbyspecially
trainedstaff.SPTisasimple,safeandquicktest,providingresultswithin1520
minutes.Thiswillenableyoutoreceiveadiagnosisandmanagementplanatyourappointment.
Theskinpricktestintroducesatinyamountofallergenintotheskin,elicitingasmall,localisedallergic
response,intheformofawheal(bump)andflare(redness)atthesiteoftesting.Thesetestscanbecarried
outonallagegroups,includingbabies.
SPTisusuallycarriedoutontheinnerforearm,butinsomecircumstancesmaybecarriedouton
anotherpartofthebody,suchasbackorthigh.Forexample,thereisalargerareaonthebackorthigh
toperformtestingonababy,similarly,forthosewithtroublesomeeczemathetestcanbeperformed
onanyclearpatchofskin
Thetestallergensareselectedfollowingadiscussionwithyourclinicianandbasedonyourhistory
Asfewas3or4oruptoabout25allergenscanbetested
Theskiniscodedwithamarkerpentoidentifytheallergenstobetested
Adropoftheallergen(extract)solutionisplacedontheskin
Theskinisthenprickedthroughthedropusingthetipofalancetthiscanfeelalittlesharpbutshould
notbepainfulandshouldnotbleed.

Thepatientneedstoavoidtakingantihistaminesandcertainothermedicationsbeforethetest.Longacting
antihistamines(thosethatdonotcausedrowsiness)shouldbestoppedforfivedays,shortacting
antihistaminescanbestopped48hoursbeforehand.Manycoughmixturescontainanantihistamine,
thereforepleasetellthehealthcareprofessionalwhoisperformingthetestanymedicationyouhavetaken.
Theresultswillnotbereliableifantihistaminesarestillinthebodywhenthetestisperformedas
antihistaminescanpreventthebodyfromreactingtotheSPT.Ifthepatienthasnotstoppedtakinganti
histaminesbeforetheirappointmenttheymaynotbeabletohavetheskinpricktest.

Twocontrolsamplesareincludedtomakesurethatthetesthasworked;oneofthecontrolswillcausea
reactioninallpeople,andtheothershouldnotcauseareactioninanyone.Thishelpsthenursesanddoctors
ensurethetesthasbeenconductedproperly.

AllergyUKistheoperationalnameoftheBritishAllergyFoundation,acharitablecompanylimited
byguaranteeandregisteredinEnglandandWales.CharityNo:1094231.CompanyNo:4509293.
RegisteredinScotlandCharityNo:SCO39257
AllergyUKPlanwellHouseLEFABusinessParkEdgingtonWay Sidcup Kent DA145BH
2
www.allergyuk.org
Theskinmaybecomeitchywithinafewminutesandbecomeredandswollen
withawhealinthecentre(verymuchlikethereactiontoanettlesting).The
whealhasaraisededgewhichslowlyexpandstoreachitsmaximumsizeinabout
15minutes,clearingformostpeoplewithinanhour.Dependinguponwhatyou
havediscussedwithyourdoctor,thismaybeapositiveresponseandyour
doctorwilldiscusstheresultsandwhattheymeanforyou.
NoreactiontotheSPT(anegativeresponse)mayindicatethatthepatientisnot
sensitivetothatallergen.Negativereactionsmayoccurforotherreasons,for
example;ifthepatientistakingantihistaminesormedicationsthatblocktheeffectofhistamine.Whichis
whyitisimportanttheresultsareinterpretedbyahealthcareprofessionalexperiencedinallergy.Insome
cases,thedoctormayrequestabloodtesttohelpclarifytheresults.

Lastupdated:June2013 Reviewdate:June2015
Version3