The nurses and doctor on duty will welcome you to the Seal unit on the second floor, Block B of the South Wing in St Thomas’ Hospital. After you have settled into your bay, a member of our team will go through the study procedure, risks and benefits and answer any questions you may have. You’ll then be asked to sign informed consent to enroll your child onto the BAT 2 study. Children 8 years and older will be asked to sign assent to take part.
Thereafter a medical exam will be carried out by the doctor on duty to ensure your child is well enough for the food challenge. Skin Prick Tests will be performed and blood will be drawn. When drawing blood, the doctor may decide to insert a cannula. A numbing cream can be applied before blood is drawn or a cannula is inserted, to reduce discomfort. However the need for a cannula will be discussed with you on the day.
Once observations, including blood pressure and heart rate have been taken your child will be ready to start the food challenge. The doses of the challenge food will start off small and gradually increase as they are tolerated. Observations are carried out between doses which are spaced 20 minutes apart, to monitor for any possible signs of an allergic reaction, in which case the challenge is stopped and all symptoms treated. Even if there is no reaction, we will observe your child for a little while after the end of the challenge to ensure your child is well before sending you home. The dietitian will advise you on either introducing the allergen challenged into your child’s diet or avoiding the allergen, depending on the outcome.