Asia Pacific allergy
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Daily bathing with antiseptic cleansers are proposed by some physicians as an adjunctive management of atopic dermatitis (AD). As atopic skin is sensitive, selection of cleansing products becomes a topic of concern. ⋯ The pH of cleanser depends on composition of that cleanser. Adding antiseptic agents are not the only factor determining variation of pH. Moreover, benefit of antiseptic properties should be considered especially in cases of infected skin lesions in the selection of proper cleansers for patients with AD.
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Asia Pacific allergy · Oct 2013
ReviewRecent applications of basophil activation tests in the diagnosis of drug hypersensitivity.
Immediate-type drug hypersensitivity is an increasingly significant clinical issue; however, the diagnosis is frequently hindered due to lack of safe and precise diagnostic tests. Flow cytometry-assisted basophil activation test is a safe in vitro diagnostic tool for assessing basophil activation upon allergen stimulation. In this review, we have summarized current literature on the diagnostic utilities, new indications, and methodological aspects of the basophil activation test for the diagnosis of drug hypersensitivity.
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Asia Pacific allergy · Oct 2013
Adverse events of intravenous immunoglobulin infusions: a ten-year retrospective study.
Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is a biological product with adverse effects that appears to vary considerably among different IVIG preparations. ⋯ In this study, thirty two percent of patients given IVIG infusions experienced adverse events. Fever was the most common manifestation. Symptoms occurred within 1 to 6 h from onset of infusion, were affected by fast infusion rates, and managed by reducing the rate of infusion.
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Asia Pacific allergy · Apr 2013
Utility of penicillin allergy testing in patients presenting with a history of penicillin allergy.
Current statistics show that approximately 10% of patients claim to be allergic to penicillin yet only 10% of these have demonstrable allergy. The most appropriate and cost-effective antibiotics are sometimes withheld on the basis of patient history of drug allergy. ⋯ A minority of patients presenting with a history of penicillin allergy have evidence of immune-mediated hypersensitivity (17/110, 15%) in this study. Of these, eight out of seventeen (47%) had delayed reactions, demonstrating the usefulness and discriminating power of objective testing, which must include three-day oral challenge. Discriminating factors for immune-mediated allergy from patient history were a clear description of the original reaction and a history of anaphylaxis. Negative allergy testing enables the use of penicillin as first-line treatment when necessary and this can significantly reduce costs of antibiotics.