What is a "challenge test"?

What is a "challenge test"?

Harold Kaiser (Practicing Allergist and Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School) gives expert video advice on: When should I see a doctor if I think I have allergies?; Are allergies genetic?; What are the tests to find out if I have allergies? and more...

If the diagnosis is murky, one of the things to consider is a challenge test. In other words, the patient is given a sample either by inhalation, or by ingestion, or by injection, of something that he or she may or may not be allergic to, and one then sees what happens. One is observed and their breathing is measured. It's something that is not routinely done. It should be done by someone who is experienced in it and generally challenge tests are done in an emergency room set up or a medical facility where you can treat the reaction if something goes wrong. The challenge test is not a routine test.