OBJECTIVE: To identify the most useful combinations of symptoms and the results of radioallergosorbent tests (RASTs) and skin prick tests (SPTs) for the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis. DESIGN: A prospective comparison was made of symptoms and the results of RASTs and SPTs with 7 different nasal allergies; the references used were the "consensus diagnoses" provided by 3 experts. SETTING: Nineteen general practices in The Netherlands. PATIENTS: 365 consecutive patients aged 12 or over who visited their general practitioner because of chronic or recurrent nasal symptoms between 1 March 1990 and 1 March 1991. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The most useful combinations of items from the history, RASTs, and SPTs, for the diagnosis of 7 different nasal allergies; the predictive probabilities of these combinations. RESULTS: Diagnostic criteria could be drawn up resulting in a near-perfect discrimination between patients diagnosed as having allergic rhinitis and patients diagnosed as not having allergic rhinitis. Most of these criteria combined only a single item from the history with either RAST or SPT. For nearly all nasal allergies, both the negative predictive probabilities and the positive predictive probabilities were 97% or more. CONCLUSIONS: The common nasal allergies can be diagnosed with a very high certainty with the aid of simple diagnostic criteria. Data from a strictly limited case history combined with either RAST or SPT are sufficient.
OBJECTIVE: To identify the most useful combinations of symptoms and the results of radioallergosorbent tests (RASTs) and skin prick tests (SPTs) for the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis. DESIGN: A prospective comparison was made of symptoms and the results of RASTs and SPTs with 7 different nasal allergies; the references used were the "consensus diagnoses" provided by 3 experts. SETTING: Nineteen general practices in The Netherlands. PATIENTS: 365 consecutive patients aged 12 or over who visited their general practitioner because of chronic or recurrent nasal symptoms between 1 March 1990 and 1 March 1991. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The most useful combinations of items from the history, RASTs, and SPTs, for the diagnosis of 7 different nasal allergies; the predictive probabilities of these combinations. RESULTS: Diagnostic criteria could be drawn up resulting in a near-perfect discrimination between patients diagnosed as having allergic rhinitis and patients diagnosed as not having allergic rhinitis. Most of these criteria combined only a single item from the history with either RAST or SPT. For nearly all nasal allergies, both the negative predictive probabilities and the positive predictive probabilities were 97% or more. CONCLUSIONS: The common nasal allergies can be diagnosed with a very high certainty with the aid of simple diagnostic criteria. Data from a strictly limited case history combined with either RAST or SPT are sufficient.
Authors: Lidwien A M Smit; Moniek Zuurbier; Gert Doekes; Inge M Wouters; Dick Heederik; Jeroen Douwes Journal: Occup Environ Med Date: 2006-10-03 Impact factor: 4.402
Authors: Jitesh Chauhan; Alex J McCraw; Mano Nakamura; Gabriel Osborn; Heng Sheng Sow; Vivienne F Cox; Chara Stavraka; Debra H Josephs; James F Spicer; Sophia N Karagiannis; Heather J Bax Journal: Antibodies (Basel) Date: 2020-10-16
Authors: Gunilla Hedlin; Carmen Moreno; Carl Johan Petersson; Gunnar Lilja; Félix Lorente Toledano; Antonio Nieto García; Lennart Nordvall; Mona Palmqvist; Sabina Rak; Staffan Ahlstedt; Magnus P Borres Journal: World Allergy Organ J Date: 2009-07 Impact factor: 4.084