Do you withhold performing skin testing for aeroallergens, foods or venoms based on poor lung function?
Answer from: at Community Practice
I do not. However, if a known severe trigger of asthma by history, such as a cat, I instruct staff to wipe off the allergen if a large skin wheal occurs. Additionally, if lung function is compromised, starting the patient on a short course of oral steroids prior to testing will not compromise skin t...
We do not routinely perform lung function on all patients prior to skin testing. If someone has respiratory distress or low pulse ox, then we would withhold performing skin testing.
In a patient with asthma that seems uncontrolled, or if they have PFTs done that day with low FEV1, I will typically not do skin testing. For me, the risk of inducing an exacerbation, which has happened to me a few times, outweighs the benefit of the information that skin testing will provide. I wil...