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MRT Laboratories, Inc.

50 Johnson Ave.
Hackensack, NJ 07601
201-342-5400
800-631-1379
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Why Use Blood Tests?

...a brief discussion.

Today, after years of clinical testing, many doctors use a laboratory procedure to identify the cause of allergies. The procedure uses a test tube of blood instead of a needle-stick reaction, as used in the skin test.

A small part of the patient’s blood sample is mixed with different allergens and observed for a chemical reaction. The laboratory’s equipment and computers analyze the reaction and measure the response to each allergen.

Although the two testing methods for allergy - skin test and blood test - tend to give comparable results, "there are significant advantages in using a blood test," Dr. Nalebuff insists. "A blood test is more convenient for the patient - just a single blood sample can provide enough serum for multiple allergy tests. Also, a blood test is less time-consuming for the patient. Other distinct advantages are that there is no patient risk, results are not influenced by drugs, and there is low incidence of false-positive results. The public doesn’t know a blood test is more specific than a skin test in determining allergy."

While many physicians’ offices use a laboratory procedure to test for allergens, a majority (75%) still refer patients to an allergy specialist who typically uses the skin test method. This is particularly true in the U.S., while doctors in Europe and other international markets tend to diagnose patients either in the office or through third-party laboratories.

*Source: "Allergy Facts: Allergies - A Global Problem," Hycor Biomedical, Inc.

More information...

Why test for allergy? Click Here
Why use blood tests? Click Here
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Newsletter: "Advantages of In Vitro Testing"
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To view a sample Allergy Testing Results report, Click Here