October 3, 2017 – Food Challenge

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Anchor lead: Are food challenges safe? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Food challenges done in allergist's offices are generally quite safe, a recent study of about 6000 such tests concluded. Corrine Keet, an allergist at Johns Hopkins, describes the results.

Keet: Food challenge is where we feed someone the food they're allergic to, or we suspect they may be allergic to. In that study, which reviewed 6000 challenges that were done in an allergist's office, it showed that it was generally very low risk in having any kind of an allergic reaction, there were no deaths reported in that. I think it's important that allergists do take a lot of steps to make sure that food challenges are safe that include having medications available, making sure that their staff are medically trained, that's there's easy access to emergency medical care. :31

Keet says the study was done after the death of a three year old boy following a food challenge was reported in August. She says this study should help parents feel confident that safety is paramount when a food challenge is done in an allergist's office. At Johns Hopkins, I'm Elizabeth Tracey.