At Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology (SNP) we perform tests that
help your doctor diagnose the cause of your allergy.
Your test may involve having a blood sample collected at one of
our collection centres and tested in our laboratory using RAST® or
ImmunoCAP ISAC®. Or your doctor may ask you to have a skin prick
test, performed under medical supervision at one of our highly
specialised procedural centres.
Determining allergies is complex, and often a diagnosis must be
made by correlating test results with your symptoms and clinical
history.
|
Your Pathologist -
Dr Daman Langguth FRACP, FRCPA
At SNP your test is in the skilled and experienced hands
of an expert team lead by Dr Daman Langguth.
As a clinical pathologist Dr Langguth is a medical doctor who
has undergone many years of additional specialist training in
rheumatology and immunology in Perth and Brisbane. With expertise
in the investigation of auto-immune disease, allergy, and immune
deficiency, he is often called on for expert opinion by local and
international colleagues.
Dr Langguth is committed to allergy research and is at present
working on a project investigating Australian grass pollens, and in
particular the role of paspalum (Bahia grass) in allergic rhinitis.
He is also committed to maintaining and improving professional
standards and guidelines in immunopathology and general pathology
through membership of a number of state and national
committees.
|
Dr Daman Langguth FRACP, FRCPA
|
What tests are
available?
SKIN PRICK TESTS
Skin prick tests are a simple, reliable way to test for
many allergens. Usually, they are performed on the inside of
your forearm. A device is used that pricks the skin and introduces
tiny amounts of individual allergens.
The device has 8 different allergens so your test may include
groups of foods such as cow's milk, peanut, prawn,
wheat and yeast; moulds; pollens and general stimuli such as cat
and dog dander and hair, house dust mite and mixed feathers. The
selection of allergens tested will depend on your age.
If you test positive, a small lump will develop at the site and
there may be some redness and itching. The whole procedure will
take about 30 minutes. If you have a positive test result, it is
likely to be associated with an allergy, but your doctor will need
to consider it in the context of your clinical history.
Positive results may occur in people with no history of
allergies. If the results are negative, there is a strong chance
you do not have an allergy to those substances.
Skin prick tests are extremely safe but, because there is a
small risk of a strong reaction, you will need to have your test at
one of our special Collection Centres with one of our GPs or
pathologists present.
To view the full list of Skin Prick Test Allergen
Panels - CLICK
HERE
RAST® (RadioAllergoSorbent Test)
The RadioAllergoSorbent Test (RAST®) is performed in the
laboratory on a sample of your blood. It looks for the particular
IgE antibodies your body produces in response to specific
allergens.
Although RAST® tests are available for a wide range of
allergens, Medicare Australia sets limits on the number, type and
frequency of tests you can have. These restrictions can delay the
results your doctor may need to help diagnose your allergy.
An extended RAST® panel can be performed for an additional fee.
By choosing to have an extended RAST® panel of tests
performed, your doctor will have results for a wider range of
allergen tests in just one visit.
| Food Allergy Extended RAST®
Panel |
| Egg white |
Sesame seed |
Mango |
| Cow's milk |
Peanut |
Banana |
| Codfish |
Soybean |
Cashew |
| Wheat |
Hazelnut |
Walnut |
| Rice |
Almond |
Shrimp (prawn) |
Click Here for Food Allergy
Leaflet
|
| Inhalant Allergy Extended RAST®
Panel |
| Dustmite |
Bahia grass |
Penicillium |
| Cat dander |
Johnson grass |
Acacia |
| Dog dander |
Perennial rye grass |
Common ragweed |
| Horse dander |
Aspergillus |
Eucalyptus |
| Bermuda grass |
Cladosporium |
Blomia tropicalis |
Click Here for Inhalant Allergy
Allergy Leaflet
|
To view the full list of RAST® Allergens
- CLICK
HERE
New test available - Peanut Allergy Risk Assessment
- CLICK
HERE
For parents, the diagnosis of peanut allergy is fraught with
fear and apprehension; the chance that severe allergy may occur is
of most concern. For doctors, the present tests significantly
over-diagnose peanut allergy.
To help patients and clinicians, Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology
offers the next generation of allergy tests, using recombinant
peanut protein. When combined with traditional peanut RAST®
(allergy) testing, this gives much greater knowledge about peanut
allergy and the risk associated with it.
To see Pricing CLICK HERE
Phadia ImmunoCAP ISAC® - New advances in allergy testing are now
available...
The Phadia ImmunoCAP ISAC® system is one of the most important
recent advances in laboratory allergy diagnostics, that now allows
us to determine, with a high level of accuracy and precision,
specific IgE antibodies to a far wider range of allergens,
including those that could not previously be tested for, and those
present at low levels.
We can now test for 103 clinically important allergen molecules
from 47 different allergens.
Through this extended range of tests we have the ability not
only to identify the allergens to which you are sensitive, but
also, in some cases, to estimate the severity of your reaction or
your level of tolerance to certain foods.
It is a particularly useful test to assess whether a child may
be growing out of their food allergies.
The test is performed on a routine blood sample that can be
collected at any SNP collection centre. Results are not affected by
medications.
There is no Medicare rebate for this test.
For a full list of Phadia ImmunoCAP® Allergens
-> CLICK HERE