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Determining if your patient is a candidate for venom immunotherapy with whole allergen testing can be difficult as up to 59% of venom patients test positive for both bee and wasp venom.
That’s why Labcorp now offers component-resolved diagnostic testing to discriminate between true sensitization and cross-reactivity, improving specificity and:
While venom allergy testing can confirm a diagnosis, it cannot itself make a diagnosis nor reliably predict the severity of a reaction. Test results can guide the selection of venom immunotherapy (VIT).3,4
Patients with a large local sting reaction or those with a relative with a stinging insect allergy should not be tested.
People who have experienced an allergic reaction to an insect sting have a 60% chance of a similar or worse reaction if stung again.5
A normal, non-allergic reaction to an insect sting typically involves pain, swelling and redness near the site of the sting and possibly beyond.
A serious allergic reaction to an insect sting—which requires immediate medical attention—may include one or more of the following symptoms:5
After immediate, emergency treatment of your serious allergic reaction to an insect sting, the next step is to ask your primary care provider how to prevent future allergic reactions.
You may be uncertain about which type of insect triggered your allergic reaction. Component-resolved diagnostic testing looks at the exact protein in an allergen that may be causing your allergic reaction to help identify the specific type of stinging insect (or insects) causing your reaction, such as honey bee, yellow jacket or paper wasp.
Available at your primary care provider’s office, a specialist’s office or at a Labcorp patient service center, you can get a blood-based specific IgE allergy test that:
Along with a physical exam and your healthcare history, your provider can use information from your allergy test results to identify which stinging insect or insects may have caused your allergic reaction and prescribe the appropriate venom immunotherapy.