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Objective: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by genetic and environmental factors. Skin tests show type 1 hypersensitivity reactions against various allergens. Allergic triggers and degree of sensitivity against a specific agent can be determined by skin tests. In this study; the skin test results in asthmatic children, the presence of allergic rhinitis based on family history, and evaluations depending on several factors have been considered. Material and Methods: Patients who had been diagnosed and monitored with asthma together with allergic rhinitis and had no any other disease were enrolled in to the study. A standard data form was completed for each patient. Pulmonary function tests were performed. Skin prick tests were also performed for each patient. Results were assessed depending on atopy in the family history and diagnostic groups of Asthma / Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis. results: In this study, 236 asthmatic patients in total who were 6-18 years old were included: 155 (65.7%) were male and the mean age was 7.9 (7.4-12.2) (IQR) years. The number of asthmatic patients was 163 while the number of patients who had both asthma and allergic rhinitis was 73. The frequency of sensitivity to at least one allergen was 42.6 % according to the result of the skin test. The maximum sensitivity was for pollens with a rate of 23.6%. Atopy frequency according to the diagnostic groups was 39% in asthmatic patients and 52% in those with asthma and allergenic rhinitis (p=0.061). The allergen sensitivity was 39.8% in the group with a family history of atopy and 44.3% in the group without a family history of allergen sensitivity (p=0.496). conclusion: Allergen sensitivity has an important role in asthma in childhood. Allergen sensitivity should therefore be investigated for all patients who are diagnosed as asthma. The socio-demographic characteristics and family history of each patient who has a skin test done should be carefully questioned in terms of other concomitant allergenic diseases. Our study is similar to other pollen sensitivity studies in general. As expected, the frequency of allergen sensitivity was higher in the group that had asthma together with allergenic rhinitis than those with asthma only. Allergen sensitivity was lower in our study for the group with a family history while it was expected to be higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug allergies are serious acute and potentially life-threatening reactions that constitute 10-15% of all drug-related adverse reactions. In clinical practice, parents may wrongly report various adverse drug reactions their children experienced as a drug allergy. Physicians often make the diagnosis of a drug allergy based on patient or caregiver accounts rather than standard diagnostic tests. Thus, only a suspicion of a drug allergy is usually enough to make a diagnosis and to prescribe an alternative drug that is generally more expensive and less effective, with more potential side effects. A detailed clinical history of the reaction should be the first step in patients with a suspicion of drug allergy. If the drug allergy cannot be excluded with the clinical history, skin tests and further in vitro tests should be performed. In patients in whom these tests are not informative or not available, a drug allergy diagnosis should be made with a drug provocation test, the gold standard, unless there is a contraindication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Design: Allergic reactions to Hymenoptera venoms are significant health problems because of their serious outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the sensitization rates of Hymenoptera venoms (an indirect measure of Hymenoptera venom allergy) in Mersin region. Materials and Methods: In this study, we investigated the sensitization rates among 209 volunteers (86 males, 123 females, mean age: 38.4 years) using questionnaires, total IgE determination with nephelometric method and phadiotop determinations with fluoroimmunoassay, epidermal/intradermal testing with Apidae, Vespidae and Polistes venom extracts. Results: Sensitization rate to venoms of all three species were 21.0% among 209 subjects. Sensitization rate to more than one species simultaneously was 52.3% among Hymenoptera-sensitive subjects. With the aid of questionnaires we found that sting reactions were "normal reactions" in 80%, "large local reactions" in 11.0% and "systemic reactions" in 9% of the subjects. The rate of positive skin tests was 23.5% among the subjects who described large local reactions and 21.5% among the subjects who described systemic reactions. There were no significant difference in the sensitization rates between males and females, in subjects stratified by age, subjects with elevated and normal total IgE values, subjects with positive and negative phadiotop determinations subjects living in urban and suburban areas and between subjects with respect to sting number or time elapsed since the last sting or the varieties of sting reactions. Conclusion: Although low in titer, the sensitization rates to hymenoptera venoms were significantly high in Mersin region. Therefore, Hymenoptera venom allergy may contribute to health problems, significantly in this part of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of atopy and allergic rhinitis by prick skin test with multi-test II applicator in patients with asthma. Material and Methods: In this study, 200 patients who were admitted to the Medical Faculty, Department of Pulmonary Disease and who was diagnosed asthma were evaluated prospectively. Pulmonary function test and twelve aeroallergens skin test were applied to patients. Total IgE levels and blood eosinophil counts were also measured. Atopic asthma was defined as the history of asthma with positive skin test. Results: Mean age of patients was 42.4±13.2 years old. 152 (76%) were women; 48 (24%) were men. 120 (60%) were skin test positive. Allergy to pollens (%69.2) was the most prevalent sensitization, followed by allergy to house dust mites, cockroach and molds (%56.7, %41.7, %7.5). Ninety-seven patients (48%) were allergic rhinitis. Conclusion: The results showed that asthma in 60% of the patients had an atopic background in Kayseri. Less than half of the asthmatic patients had associated rhinitis. The most frequent sensitization allergens that were determined by prick skin test with multi-test II applicator in patients with or without rhinitis were pollens in Kayseri. The frequency of house dust mite was second highest, of cockroach was third highest In patients with atopic asthma and allergic rhinitis, prevention should be provided against pollens and house dust mite to control the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]