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What VIT would you recommend in a patient who had grade 5 anaphylaxis to a stinging insect but negative IDT and serum IgE?
2 Answers
Mednet Member
Allergy & Immunology · Uniformed Services University Bethesda
The short answer is none. Venom immunotherapy (VIT) is absolutely dependent on demonstrating specific IgE to the suspected agent. Without specific IgE, I would not recommend starting VIT.
When faced with the dilemma of post-insect sting anaphylaxis and negative skin tests(ST) and serum tests, the fi...
Mednet Member
Allergy & Immunology · Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
The short answer is that VIT cannot be recommended when the cause (and mechanism) cannot be identified. So it is necessary to re-examine the diagnosis, pursue further evaluation, and consider what options may exist for treatment.
First, was it anaphylaxis? What was the suspected culprit insect? Was t...