Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome
FPIES is a type of food allergy affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Classic symptoms of FPIES include profound vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. These symptoms can lead to severe lethargy, change in body temperature and blood pressure. Unlike typical food allergies, symptoms may not be immediate and do not show up on standard allergy tests. Nonetheless, FPIES can present with severe symptoms following ingestion of a food trigger.
FPIES is a non-IgE food allergy, which unlike classic food allergy, cannot be diagnosed with readily available food allergy tests such as skin prick test (SPT) or blood test that measure food IgE antibodies (RAST). These tests are helpful to identify triggers for typical food allergies that result in immediate hives, wheezing, and swelling and are characteristically negative in FPIES. An FPIES diagnosis is usually made by considering the history of the characteristic symptoms and exclusion of various alternative illnesses.
The most definitive test is a medically supervised oral food challenge (OFC) where the suspect food is given to the child in a controlled clinical environment. (FPIES Foundation. N.p., 2011. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.)
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