ABSTRACT
This chapter presents ten pearls of wisdom for general practitioners (GPs) for better care of patients with allergy-related problems and for more efficient use of resources. These pearls have been acquired from years of experience and evidence-based study by specialists in the field. The 'unexpected' reactions could be due to allergy, intolerance or idiosyncrasy. An allergic reaction has an immunological basis, although that may not be easy to establish. Hence, for practical purposes, any drug reaction with clinical features of allergy can be regarded as allergic. The chapter also presents advice on diagnoses often overlooked by GPs while handling patients with allergy. Diagnoses of the following diseases/disorders are recommended: food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis, baboon syndrome, aquagenic urticaria, and seminal plasma allergy. For allergy diagnosis, it is better to measure allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) against an allergen suspected from the history. The chapter provides guidance on how to distinguish tricky differentials and finally a few tips on prescribing medications for these patients.
