Skin Prick Test in Educating Population of Rural Part of Eastern India and Promoting Health in Allergic Rhinitis: An Epidemiological Study

Skin prick testing (SPT) is one of the most extensively used screening and diagnostic tool in contemporary allergy practice. It plays a vital role in diagnosis of type 1 hypersensitivity reaction in patients with rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma, urticaria, anapylaxis, atopic eczema and suspected food and drug allergy. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the pattern of allergenicity of aero-allergens and mites in the rural part of Eastern India using SPT. A total of 50 subjects (25 males and 25 females) were selected for the present study. Complete history and clinical symptoms were recorded according to ARIA guidelines. All the patients were subjected to SPT using 35 allergens. Positive sensitization was recorded in terms of frequency and measured in terms of maximum wheal diameter. The most common allergens observed were Gynandropsis gynandra (positive sensitization in 33 cases with wheal of 4.18 mm diameter) followed by Dermatophagoides farinae (25 cases, 6.12 mm diameter), Ageratum conyzoides (19 cases, 3.36 mm diameter), Cannabis sativa (17 cases, 3.52 mm diameter) and Cassia occidentalis (17 cases, 3.58 mm diameter). When the sensitivity was being compared between the most common allergens, statistical significance was obtained for Ageratum conyzoides and Cannabis sativa with Dermatophagoides farina (p value-0.0001). SPT is a reliable, minimally invasive procedure with immediate results useful in detection and promoting health of patients suffering from allergic rhinitis.