Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences. Part XVI. Properties and units in clinical allergology (Technical Report) (IFCC-IUPAC 1999)

The subject field of clinical allergology deals with many hundred different allergens from all parts of the human environment and the number steadily increases. Not all of the allergens are strictly defined in chemical terms and procedures for detection of antibodies against the allergens in the human vary. This document deals with the presentation of request and report on such properties according to some international rules and the allocation of code values representing the concept delineated. The coding scheme thus prepared is imperfect and needs further elaboration as allergens become more well defined. It is a step toward harmonization, in particular as concerns the coding system applied. The net outcome is a coding scheme for use in electronic transmission. PrefaceThe present document is part sixteen (XVI) of a series on properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences initiated in 1987. > View series titles (view corresponding project) The NCCLS code values are reproduced with permission from NCCLS publication I/LA20-P.Foreword and ScopeBasic research in biology and medicine and innovations in laboratory methodology have greatly increased the range of properties available to medical practitioners to help them in decisions on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. The plethora is now such that the individual doctor has insight in or understanding of only a limited number of properties offered to him or her from the various clinical laboratory specialities. In the laboratory, local terms (jargon) may be well understood among colleagues, but they are not appropriate for communication with the outside world. Likewise, a laboratory and its local community of users, such as hospital or community physicians, may use a "local dialect" of the language of clinical laboratory sciences which is well understood by all concerned, but when the communication possibilities are wider, even transnational, risks of serious misunderstanding arise. In addition, the terminology used by one laboratory speciality may vary even within the speciality, and may be incomprehensible to another speciality. This inconsistency is a minor inconvenience to the laboratory specialities, each one essentially operating within its own area of activity. However, for the user this inconsistency is highly unsatisfactory and may hinder treatment of the patient. It is therefore essential to promote clear, unambiguous, meaningful and fully informative communication. Also coherence of statements made within and between medical specialities, and uniformity in structure of presentation is to be strived for. This coherence will facilitate transfer of information over cultural, alphabetic and language areas. The purpose of this document is to apply the syntax structures for request and report recommended by the European standards ENV 1614:1995 and ENV 12435:1996 and by IUPAC-IFCC, providing formats and names of properties observed in the domain of clinical allergology, in order to facilitate unequivocal written or electronic communication between health care professionals. The systematic names recommended here are primarily for the purpose of unambiguous data exchange. Their use in routine language by clinicians or laboratory practitioners is optional but encouraged.