Diagnosing immune-mediated reactions to drugs

Drug allergy is a type B adverse drug reaction, which is unpredictable and difficult to prevent or manage. In patients who have a previous history of drug allergy it must be confirmed by laboratorial diagnosis. However, the diagnostic test remains a major problem in clinical practice. Skin testing is validated for some drugs, such as penicillin, but not for others. Provocation test is a confirmatory test but bears the risk of severe reactions. Lymphocyte transformation test is a reliable test but is considered as a research tool. This review addresses the most recent published literature regarding the techniques which have already been developed as well as the new tests that can be promising alternatives for diagnosis of drug allergy.