Peanut allergy is misdiagnosed in many children

Many children are erroneously told they have a peanut allergy because the standard skin-prick test is not accurate enough, a new study suggests.

[...]

A child who develops a hive measuring 8 millimetres or more is allergic to peanuts, according to the diagnostic cut-off level.

However, only 67% of those in the study with hives measuring between 8 and 10 mm, proved to be allergic when given peanut to eat under hospital supervision. The test only became 100% accurate when the hive measured 15 mm or more.

[...]

“For many with a positive result on the skin-prick test, it would be worth doing a peanut challenge in a hospital environment,” Wainstein says.

NewScientist.com