Convenient alternative to the traditional skin prick test is intended to help doctors reduce the backlog of patients with eczema, asthma and other allergy related diseases waiting for an allergy test
A brand new allergy test is set to transform the way allergy sufferers are diagnosed in UK laboratories and allergy clinics, it is claimed.
The new test is a convenient alternative to the traditional skin prick test and is intended to help doctors reduce the backlog of patients with eczema, asthma and other allergy related diseases waiting for an allergy test.
According to the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI), 18 million people in the UK have an allergy and six million have an allergy serious enough to require specialist help.
The new 30 minute Milenia Quickline allergy test is designed for use in the laboratory or clinic instead of skin prick tests which are often uncomfortable and inappropriate for some patients with eczema, dermatitis and those on anti-histamine medication.
Patients with extreme sensitivity can also be at risk of life-threatening reactions with skin prick tests.
However, the new test is not affected by these serious drawbacks.
The Milenia Quickline allergy tests are distributed by JRBiomedical (JRB), the exclusive UK distributor for Milenia Biotec, a German manufacturer of a wide range of medical tests for use in clinics, paediatric intensive care units and laboratories.
The Milenia Quickline Allergy tests require only a drop of blood (20ul), give results in 30 minutes, are simple to use, have over 30 common allergens and panels, and require no capital expense.
John Rees, fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science and founder of JRB, said: "These allergy point-of-care tests bring quick, simple and safe allergen specific IgE diagnostics closer to the patient without the risks and problems associated with skin prick tests.
"Milenia is perfect for use in NHS clinics or laboratories that don't have the resources to invest in capital equipment or facilities for skin prick testing.
"I believe that these new tests can make a major difference to the way allergy testing is conducted in the future and can also help to reduce the time patients have to wait for an NHS allergy test."
