A positive skin test may mean that the allergy is caused by the allergen used in testing; by an allergen that may cause allergy at a future date; by an allergen which has caused allergy in the past; or by an allergen which is similar to the one causing the positive test. Or it may mean that the positive skin finding is a casual one which is not related to the allergy in question. Therefore, extreme care must be exercised in diagnosing an allergy on the basis of skin test interpretations.
If the allergic history and skin tests are not conclusive, the Rast test may be used. This test works on the principle of an allergen reacting with its specific antibody in the blood serum of an allergic patient. It is safe, convenient, accurate, time-saving, and less traumatic than skin testing, but it is costly and not always available.
After the allergic history and the skin or Rast tests have been done, all the positive findings should be recorded in the following summary which must be kept in the physician’s records and should also be kept by the school nurse, the camp doctor, and the child’s parents.
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