Allergy Blood Tests: About Your Child's Tests

What are they?

Allergy blood tests look for substances in the blood. These are called antibodies. Your child's body makes them in response to allergens. Allergens are things that the body is allergic to.

There are many types of these blood tests. They include:

• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, EIA).

• Radioallergosorbent testing (RAST).

• Immunoassay capture test. (These include ImmunoCAP, UniCAP, and Pharmacia CAP.)

• Fluoro-allergosorbent testing (FAST).

• Multiple antigen simultaneous testing (MAST).

Why are these tests done?

These blood tests are done to find out what things your child is allergic to.

How are these tests done?

A health professional uses a needle to take a blood sample. It's most often done in the arm.

What happens after these tests?

The results of allergy blood tests are often ready in about 7 days.

Current as of: September 25, 2023

Content Version: 14.0

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