PMID- 21875543
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20111027
LR  - 20110830
IS  - 1534-4436 (Electronic)
IS  - 1081-1206 (Linking)
VI  - 107
IP  - 3
DP  - 2011 Sep
TI  - Utility of routine laboratory testing in management of chronic 
      urticaria/angioedema.
PG  - 239-43
LID - 10.1016/j.anai.2011.06.008 [doi]
AB  - BACKGROUND: Laboratory tests are routinely ordered to identify or rule out a 
      cause in patients with chronic urticaria/angioedema (CUA). The results of these 
      tests are usually within normal limits or unremarkable. OBJECTIVE: To investigate 
      the proportion of abnormal test results in patients with CUA leading to a change 
      in management and in outcomes of care. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of a 
      random sample of adult patients with CUA from 2001-2009. RESULTS: Cases totaled 
      356: 166 with urticaria and angioedema (AE), 187 with urticaria, and 3 with only 
      AE. Patients were predominately women (69.1%) and white (75.6%), with a mean age 
      of 48 +/- 15 years. Abnormalities were commonly seen in complete blood counts (34%) 
      and in complete metabolic panels (9.4%). Among the 1,872 tests that were ordered, 
      results of 319 (17%) were abnormal. Of 356 patients, 30 underwent further testing 
      because of abnormalities in laboratory work. This represented 30 of 1,872 tests 
      (1.60%). Only 1 patient benefited from a subsequent change in management. 
      CONCLUSIONS: Laboratory testing in CUA patients referred for an Allergy and 
      Immunology evaluation rarely lead to changes in management resulting in improved 
      outcomes of care.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2011 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by 
      Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
FAU - Tarbox, James A
AU  - Tarbox JA
AD  - Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
FAU - Gutta, Ravi C
AU  - Gutta RC
FAU - Radojicic, Cristine
AU  - Radojicic C
FAU - Lang, David M
AU  - Lang DM
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20110720
PL  - United States
TA  - Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol
JT  - Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American 
      College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology
JID - 9503580
RN  - 0 (Histamine Antagonists)
RN  - 1668-19-5 (Doxepin)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Angioedema/*diagnosis/*drug therapy
MH  - Blood Cell Count
MH  - Chronic Disease
MH  - *Diagnostic Tests, Routine
MH  - Doxepin/therapeutic use
MH  - Female
MH  - Histamine Antagonists/therapeutic use
MH  - Humans
MH  - Laboratories, Hospital/economics
MH  - Male
MH  - Metabolic Networks and Pathways
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Retrospective Studies
MH  - Sex Factors
MH  - Treatment Outcome
EDAT- 2011/08/31 06:00
MHDA- 2011/10/28 06:00
CRDT- 2011/08/31 06:00
PHST- 2011/02/21 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2011/06/01 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2011/06/10 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2011/08/31 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2011/08/31 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2011/10/28 06:00 [medline]
AID - S1081-1206(11)00429-7 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/j.anai.2011.06.008 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2011 Sep;107(3):239-43. doi: 
      10.1016/j.anai.2011.06.008. Epub 2011 Jul 20.