Managing the Allergic Patient


Book Description

This new reference provides up-to-date, disease-specific diagnostic and treatment protocols in a new, full-color, heavily illustrated reference. Provides quick access to key anatomy, tests, and management protocols in the clinical setting. Allows the user to compare common presentations and quickly reference the latest in diagnosis and treatment options with over 300 clinical and diagnostic algorithms, photographs, charts, and tables.




Finding a Path to Safety in Food Allergy


Book Description

Over the past 20 years, public concerns have grown in response to the apparent rising prevalence of food allergy and related atopic conditions, such as eczema. Although evidence on the true prevalence of food allergy is complicated by insufficient or inconsistent data and studies with variable methodologies, many health care experts who care for patients agree that a real increase in food allergy has occurred and that it is unlikely to be due simply to an increase in awareness and better tools for diagnosis. Many stakeholders are concerned about these increases, including the general public, policy makers, regulatory agencies, the food industry, scientists, clinicians, and especially families of children and young people suffering from food allergy. At the present time, however, despite a mounting body of data on the prevalence, health consequences, and associated costs of food allergy, this chronic disease has not garnered the level of societal attention that it warrants. Moreover, for patients and families at risk, recommendations and guidelines have not been clear about preventing exposure or the onset of reactions or for managing this disease. Finding a Path to Safety in Food Allergy examines critical issues related to food allergy, including the prevalence and severity of food allergy and its impact on affected individuals, families, and communities; and current understanding of food allergy as a disease, and in diagnostics, treatments, prevention, and public policy. This report seeks to: clarify the nature of the disease, its causes, and its current management; highlight gaps in knowledge; encourage the implementation of management tools at many levels and among many stakeholders; and delineate a roadmap to safety for those who have, or are at risk of developing, food allergy, as well as for others in society who are responsible for public health.




Clinical Allergy


Book Description

Allergic diseases affect nearly one-fourth of the population and cause or contribute to significant chronic illness. Allergic diseases are common and are seen by a wide variety of health care providers. In Clinical Allergy: Diagnosis and Management, the author provides a practical clinical overview for the common disorders encountered in the specialty of Allergy. Designed to be easily readable and to provide clinically applicable information for both the nonallergist and allergist, the intent is to unravel the mystery of allergy. The introductory chapters focus on the human immune response, environmental allergens, and the different types of allergy testing. The subsequent chapters focus on the common allergic conditions seen in the office or clinic, including rhinitis and rhinosinusitis, allergic eye disease, asthma, urticaria and angioedema, atopic and contact dermatitis, drug allergy, food allergy, anaphylaxis, and stinging insect allergy. "Cross-talk" between chapters helps show the interrelationships among the various allergic disorders. The chapters begin with a review of pathophysiologic mechanisms and then consider a clinically structured approach to diagnosis and management of the disorders. In addition to pharmacologic treatment, the importance of nonpharmacologic management and patient education is emphasized. At the end of each chapter, clinical vignettes highlight the daily management of the allergic patient. Clinical Allergy: Diagnosis and Management, provides a logical framework for the evaluation and management of allergic disorders in patients.







Understanding and Managing Your Child's Food Allergies


Book Description

For children with food allergies, eating—one of the basic functions of life—can be a nightmare. Children who suffer or become dangerously ill after eating peanuts, seafood, milk, eggs, wheat, or a host of other foods require constant vigilance from caring, concerned parents, teachers, and friends. In this empathetic and comprehensive guide, Dr. Scott H. Sicherer, a specialist in pediatric food allergies, gives parents the information they need to manage their children’s health and quality of life. He describes why children develop food allergy, the symptoms of food allergy (affecting the skin, the gastrointestinal tract, and the respiratory system), and the role of food allergy in behavioral problems and developmental disabilities. Parents will learn how to recognize emergency situations, how to get the most out of a visit with an allergist, what allergy test results mean, and how to protect their children—at home, at school, at summer camp, and in restaurants. Informative, compassionate, and practical, this guide will be indispensable for parents, physicians, school nurses, teachers, and everyone else who cares for children with food allergies.




Indoor Allergens


Book Description

More than 50 million Americans, one out of five, suffer from hay fever, asthma, and other allergic diseases. Many of these conditions are caused by exposure to allergens in indoor environments such as the house, work, and schoolâ€"where we spend as much as 98 percent of our time. Developed by medical, public health, and engineering professionals working together, this unique volume summarizes what is known about indoor allergens, how they affect human health, the magnitude of their effect on various populations, and how they can be controlled. The book addresses controversies, recommends research directions, and suggests how to assist and educate allergy patients, as well as professionals. Indoor Allergens presents a wealth of information about common indoor allergens and their varying effects, from significant hay fever to life-threatening asthma. The volume discusses sources of allergens, from fungi and dust mites to allergenic chemicals, plants, and animals, and examines practical measures for their control. Indoor Allergens discusses how the human airway and immune system respond to inhaled allergens and assesses patient testing methods, covering the importance of the patient's medical history and outlining procedures and approaches to interpretation for skin tests, in vitro diagnostic tests, and tests of patients' pulmonary function. This comprehensive and practical volume will be important to allergists and other health care providers; public health professionals; specialists in building design, construction, and maintenance; faculty and students in public health; and interested allergy patients.




Patterson's Allergic Diseases


Book Description

Revised and updated for its Seventh Edition, this highly acclaimed volume is a complete, current, and practical guide to the diagnosis and treatment of allergic disorders. This comprehensive yet concise reference will remain the first choice for residents and practitioners who need guidance to identify an allergy, confirm a diagnosis, or find effective therapies. It will also be an excellent aid for board review. This edition includes discussions of clinical trials in asthma and significant updates on drug allergy, imaging, occupational allergy, and immune deficiency evaluation. A Companion Website will include the fully searchable text and additional illustrations and tables.




Molecular Allergy Diagnostics


Book Description

This book, based on a recent German publication, offers an overview of basic data and recent developments in the groundbreaking field of molecular allergology. It comprehensively explores the origin and structure of single allergen molecules ("components") and their utility in improving the management of type I, IgE-mediated allergic reactions and disorders like allergic respiratory diseases, food allergies, and anaphylaxis. Highly specific testing, called component-resolved diagnostics, aims to identify and utilize single molecules. Over 200 single allergens from plant or animal sources have been applied to single or multiplex laboratory testing for the presence of allergen-specific IgE. This leap in assay sensitivity and specificity has led to three major advances in patient management: discrimination between primary allergic sensitization and complex cross-reactivity, recognition of IgE profiles for certain allergens and identification of patients most likely to benefit from allergen-specific immunotherapy. The book discusses in detail the benefits and limitations of this 21st century technology, and offers suggestions for the use of molecular allergology in routine clinical practice. It is a “must read” for physicians treating allergic patients as well as scientists interested in natural allergic molecules and their interactions with the human immune system.




Allergic Diseases


Book Description

A concise, easy-to-read, comprehensive, and up-to-date guide designed to help primary care physicians, pediatricians, and internists with the day-to-day diagnosis and treatment of their allergic patients. Its distinguished contributors-all highly experienced clinicians-integrate our latest understanding of the basic mechanisms of allergic disease and develop state-of-the-art treatment protocols that allow busy physicians to sharpen their allergy management strategies significantly. "Summary Boxes" utilized throughout book summarize crucial points and processes for time-pressured physicians, allowing them to quickly grasp a therapeutic situation and determine the best and most up-to-date treatment options. Each chapter contains numerous figures and tables to enhance understanding, treatment algorithms, and a list of suggested readings carefully chosen to deepen knowledge and insight into key points.




Food Hypersensitivity and Adverse Reactions


Book Description

Presents classic and recent findings on immunological dysfunctions caused by food allergies-coordinating the most advanced clinical techniques and assessment methods with practical insights for treatment and patient care.