Food Allergy Tests Are Not Screening Tests

This education is about:

• Defining food allergy
• Reviewing diagnostic criteria for food allergy
• Identifying the limitations of allergy tests that is currently available
• Identify applications in clinical practice

Why it matters:

As caregivers are presented with a variety of direct-to-consumer allergy and intolerance testing options, it is essential that health care providers are prepared to answer questions about the validity of these direct-to-consumer tests and the role of testing in diagnosing food allergy. It is also essential to understand the role of the validated testing options and their limitations.

Faculty

• Profile

  David R. Stukus, MD

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  David Stukus, MD, is a professor of clinical pediatrics and founding director of the Food Allergy Treatment Center in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, completed a residency in pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, and a fellowship in allergy and immunology at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. 
  Dr. Stukus has devoted his career not only to clinical care and research focused primarily on food allergy, but also to communicating evidence-based medicine and best clinical practice to colleagues, other medical professionals, patients, and the general public. Acknowledging that food allergies can be serious and life-threatening, Dr. Stukus reassures patients and their families that with appropriate education, the majority of allergies are also manageable. Through his leadership, the Center provides all-inclusive, patient-specific care and education to help families develop skills to manage their child’s food allergies.

  Dr. Stukus was among the first medical practitioners to recognize possibilities associated with the use of social media in the healthcare arena and how it fundamentally changed how information is transmitted and consumed. His popular posts are designed to increase awareness, dispel misconceptions, and support legislative initiatives benefiting patients like his own.

  The impressive social media skills of Dr. Stukus were subsequently recognized by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) when he was appointed as the organization’s social media medical editor. He now hosts and produces the podcast series “Conversations From the World of Allergy” and is vice chair of the AAAAI’s Website, Internet and Related Technologies Committee. The American Academy of Pediatrics also acknowledged Dr. Stukus’ expertise by inviting him to serve as faculty for their “Social Media for Medical Professionals” course.

  Dr. Stukus is the editor of two textbooks, several book chapters, as well as numerous research publications and articles. He is an associate editor for Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and a reviewer for the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Journal of Asthma, Journal of Pediatrics, New England Journal of Medicine, and Pediatrics.

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  David R. Stukus, MD

  Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
  The Ohio State University College of Medicine
  Director, Food Allergy Treatment Center
  Nationwide Children’s Hospital
  Columbus, Ohio