Allergy Testing
Please reference the two documents copied below:
Prick Technique: The prick technique involves introducing a small amount of allergen into the skin by making a small puncture through a drop of the allergen extract. If you have an allergy, the specific allergens that you are allergic to will cause a chain reaction to begin in your body.
People with allergies have an allergic antibody called IgE (immunoglobulin E) in their body. This chemical, which is only found in people with allergies, activates special cells called mast cells. These mast cells release chemicals called mediators, such as histamine, the chemical that causes redness and swelling. With testing, this swelling occurs only in the spots where the tiny amount of allergen to which you are allergic has been introduced. So, if you are allergic to ragweed pollen but not to cats, the spot where the ragweed allergen touched your skin will swell and itch a bit, forming a small dime-sized hive. The spot where the cat allergen scratched your skin will remain normal. This reaction happens quickly within your body.
Test results are available within 15 minutes of testing, so you don't have to wait long to find out what is triggering your allergies. And you won't have any other symptoms besides the slightly swollen, small hives where the test was done; this goes away within 30 minutes.
Intradermal: involves injecting a small amount of allergen under the skin with a syringe. This form of testing is more sensitive than the prick skin test method. This form of allergy testing may be used if the prick skin tests are negative.
©2007, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. All rights reserved. May not be duplicated or appropriated without permission. For copyright permission, please email Marianne Canter, Director of Communications and Membership, at
mcanter@aaaai.org.
Allergy Diagnostic Tests
95004 Percutaneous tests (scratch, puncture, prick) with allergenic extracts, immediate type reaction, including test interpretation and report by a physician, specify number of tests
95024 Intracutaneous (intradermal) tests with allergenic extracts, immediate type reaction, including test interpretation and report by a physician, specify number of tests
95027 Intracutaneous (intradermal) tests, sequential and incremental, with allergenic extracts for airborne allergens, immediate type reaction, including test interpretation and report by a physician, specify number of tests
Effective January 1, 2008, the descriptors for the allergy diagnostic test codes (CPT codes 95004, 95024, and 95027) have been modified to clarify that the service includes "test interpretation and report by a physician." In addition, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) now recognizes physician work for CPT codes 95004, 95024, and 95027. Furthermore, the Allergy and Clinical Immunology guidelines have been modified to indicate that when reporting any allergy testing on the same day as a significant, separately identifiable E/M service, modifier 25 must be appended to the E/M service code.
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