Patient versus allergy specialist interpretation of a negative workup for suspected iodinated contrast media allergy

[...]the results obtained and information given by the allergist is not always perceived as such by the patient. [...]the label of “allergy” often persists for patients despite a negative workup and can result in unnecessary avoidance or unnecessary use of second-line alternatives. In this work, we evaluated how the result of the allergy workup was perceived by patients and if this was concordant or not with the view of the allergist. [...]at the end of the questionnaire, patients were asked whether they considered themselves as allergic to ICM or not. Similar work in penicillin allergy indicates that the allergy label often persists despite a negative workup2-4 and that many patients and/or physicians remain reluctant to readminister penicillins despite a negative evaluation.5 In a survey in patients who underwent a penicillin allergy workup, Gerace and Philips3 observed that 12 of 49 (41%) patients with negative skin test results continued to avoid penicillins because of either personal (42%) or the primary care physician's (58%) concerns.