Diagnosis of food allergy is based primarily on a detailed allergy focused clinical history. If the clinical history is highly suggestive of food allergy then avoidance can be advised and any treatment measures initiated even before confirmatory allergy testing is performed. If the history is not indicative of food allergy, then other differentials should be considered including non-allergic urticaria.
Allergy tests in the form of sIgE can be ordered by doctors in primary and community care.
It is recommended that the tests ordered are all relevant to the clinical history. If the history is not suggestive of food allergy, then doctors are cautioned against ordering any allergy tests.
The goals of food allergy management include:
Primary care and Community Health Care Professionals can play a central role in achieving these goals by:
Further information for GPs is available at ICGP – Food Allergy in Children Quick Reference Guide