Patient Suffers Life Threatening Reaction During Prick Test

Case Overview

This case involves a middle aged female who suffered from asthma. On the date of the incident in question, she presented for a prick test at an allergists office to determine possible triggers for her asthma. During the test, the patient developed a severe reaction. The patient went into full anaphylactic shock, during which her breathing tubes swelled dramatically and deprived her of air for an extended period of time. As a result of this oxygen deprivation, the patient suffered permanent brain damage and is now permanently disabled. It was alleged that the doctor administering the prick test failed to take proper precautions to prevent this outcome, and that the patient experienced a delay in receiving appropriate care.

Questions to the Allergy and Immunology expert and their responses

Do you routinely treat patients like the one described above, for testing?

Allergy prick skin testing is a proven, safe, effective method for allergy assessment. I routinely test adults with asthma with skin tests.

What safety measures must be taken to avoid an outcome like what has transpired in the matter described above?

The physician supervising the testing should be able to recognize the symptoms of systemic reactions and treat appropriately. Appropriate equipment is specified in the The Diagnosis and Management of Anaphylaxis Practice Parameter.

Have you ever had a patient develop this outcome?

Neither I nor my group of allergists and immunologists have had this experience but we have treated patients for systemic reactions and anaphylaxis.

About the expert

This highly qualified expert earned his MD from the University of Tennessee. He completed a Residency in Internal Medicine at the University of South Florida as well as a Fellowship in Clinical Allergy and Immunology. He went on to complete another Fellowship in Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology at New York University. This expert is triple Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Allergy and Immunology and the American Board of Rheumatology. He is a member of prestigious societies such as the American Society of Internal Medicine, the American Rheumatism Association, the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology and the American College of Allergy and Immunology. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, has given over 200 conferences and lectures and is the author of 6 books and 20 book chapter contributions. He is the former Director of the Training Program in Clinical and Laboratory Immunology at the University of South Florida, former Instructor of the Department of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences and former Vice President of the Florida Allergy and Immunology Society. He is currently a Professor of Medicine at a major university and serves as Co-Chair of the Allergy Asthma and Immunology Education and Research Trust Board of Trustees.