CMAJ. 1990 Jun 1;142(11):1207-8.
Skin tests and RASTs are important tools but do not by themselves make or exclude the diagnosis of allergy. Positive results require a confirmatory medical history, whereas negative results exclude IgE-mediated allergy with a high degree of reliability. Skins tests are preferred for routine use, because with appropriate procedural controls they are simpler, give rapid results and are cost-effective. RASTs are an excellent alternative when skin tests are precluded. Disorders such as asthma and allergic rhinitis may be provoked by irritants (e.g., cigarette smoke), physical factors (e.g., cold, dry air) and chemical substances (e.g., acetylsalicylic acid) and metabisulfite), none of which involve an IgE-antibody-mediated mechanism.
皮肤试验和放射性变应原吸附试验（RAST）是重要的工具，但仅凭它们本身既不能确诊也不能排除过敏。阳性结果需要有确诊的病史来佐证，而阴性结果则高度可靠地排除了IgE介导的过敏。皮肤试验更适合常规使用，因为在有适当的操作控制时，它们更简单，结果出得快且性价比高。当无法进行皮肤试验时，RAST是很好的替代方法。哮喘和过敏性鼻炎等疾病可能由刺激物（如香烟烟雾）、物理因素（如寒冷、干燥的空气）和化学物质（如乙酰水杨酸和偏亚硫酸氢盐）诱发，这些均不涉及IgE抗体介导的机制。
