In vitro test
A Medical Breakthrough
By now, you're probably suspicious of any "breakthrough." And you don't get excited by "miracle drugs," let alone "miracle cures." And you're absolutely right, because the popular press has overdone the use of these trite phrases.
The term In Vitro refers to test procedures performed "outside the body," as in a laboratory, as apposed to "In Vivo" procedures performed in or on the body directly, as accomplished when allergy skin tests are performed.
Your doctor will discuss the importance of these results with you.
What to Expect
If your doctor recommends you to have one of these In Vitro test procedures, from your point of view, the test is extremely simple.
First, he will ask you to fill out a "patient history" form, which lists all the major diseases and discomforts you have suffered or are now enduring. He will go over this form in great detail, asking you questions to clarify every important point, so that he knows the most likely allergies troubling you and requiring testing. (The In Vitro procedure can test for any number of inhalants, but there is no point tying up the laboratory with unnecessary tests) Where you live and work, and your home environment (pets, trees, flowers, etc.), are all important elements in your history, giving your doctor a complete picture of your situation.
Second, your doctor will thoroughly examine you.
Third, a sample of your blood will be drawn.
The laboratory returns a report with a unit of measurement indicating the strength of your allergy to substances tested.
When he or she has the test results, your doctor will call you back into his office (anywhere from a few days to a week or so) and explain the results to you. He will recommend a program for dealing with your allergies. This may include changing your environment (such as getting rid of offending substances around your home), taking some form of medicine or perhaps taking allergy injections. The program will be tailored to your exact needs, based on your In Vitro results.
If immunotherapy is the treatment of choice, testing for additional relevant allergens may be indicated. Your physician will inform the lab. It is usually not necessary to draw another blood sample. Patient serum samples are frozen and retained at MRT Labs for 3-4 months.
*Source reprinted from:
"In Vitro TESTS FOR INHALANT ALLERGY: What you need to know about advanced dianostic procedures." American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy, 1101 Vermont Ave., N.W. Suite 302, Washington, DC 20005, (202)-682-0456