Diagnostic approaches to determining food allergy versus food sensitivity / intolerance

In this expert webinar, Dr. Erwin Gelfand discusses different diagnostic approaches to confirm food allergies and differentiate them from food intolerance. Over the last several decades, the prevalence of food allergies has increased, especially life-threatening peanut allergy. Diagnostic challenges include the many false negative and positive results from skin prick testing and blood testing for allergen-specific IgE, and the costs and risks for oral food challenge (OFC). Oral food challenge, specifically a double-blind, placebo-controlled oral food challenge (DBPCOFC) is the “gold standard” for the diagnosis of food allergy. Dr. Gelfand reviews the results of a study performed at National Jewish Health where blood tests to recombinant peanut Ara h 2 and to crude peanut extract were compared in light of the clinical DBPCOFC.

Key learning objectives

• To understand the differences between clinical food allergy and food intolerance.
• To understand the approaches to the diagnosis of food allergy.
• To compare the pros and cons of skin prick and blood testing to food allergens.
• To recognize the importance of recombinant allergens in the diagnosis of food allergy.

Who should attend

Laboratorians, pathologists, healthcare practitioners (HCP), primary care physicians (PCP), general practitioners (GP), pediatricians, ENT, allergologists, and allergists.

Accreditation statement

SelectScience is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. Attendees of this one-hour webinar are also entitled to 1.0 ACCENT Continuing Education Credits from the AACC. This activity was planned in accordance with ACCENT® Standards and Policies. Verification of Participation certificates are provided to registered participants based on completion of the activity, in its entirety, and the activity evaluation. For questions regarding continuing education, please email education@aacc.org.