Immunology laboratory named Center of Excellence

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Erin M. Peterson
  • 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  The newest Center of Excellence for radioallergosorbent, or RAST, testing in the Air Force Medical Service lies within the Diagnostic Immunology laboratory at Wilford Hall Medical Center here.

RAST testing is the process of using a patient's extracted blood to detect the antibodies associated with an allergic response, ultimately allowing providers to determine which environmental antigens or allergens are responsible for a response.

The acquisition of the newest RAST instrument on the market has promoted Wilford Hall to the sole Air Force clinical laboratory offering allergy testing. The ImmunoCAP 1000 is a fully automated, integrated laboratory system, optimized to speed diagnostic allergy analyses.

The ImmunoCAP 1000 gives the lab staff the capability of completing 240 tests per hour, which will quadruple their current output.

Previously, the lab technicians were able to test for approximately 360 allergens daily. The ImmunoCAP 1000 will allow them to test for approximately 1,200 allergens per day.

Gaining this new instrument will decrease the lab's turnaround time by 75 percent, quadruple the current production and save the Air Force $250,000 annually.

The new equipment was acquired through a reagent rental agreement. The instrument itself is provided at no cost to the Air Force, as long as the test reagents are purchased through the source company.

Previously, all allergy testing in the Air Force was performed through several independent, outside reference laboratories. The cost has decreased from $10 per test to $4.21 per test, as a direct result of inaugurating this new Center of Excellence.

Capt. G. Shane Hendricks, associate chief of the Disease Identification and Management Element in the 59th Laboratory Squadron, is optimistic about holding the Center of Excellence title.

"Currently, Diagnostic Immunology at Wilford Hall handles allergen testing from all Air Combat Command medical treatment facilities and several Air Education and Training Command MTFs. Our goal is to recapture allergy testing for approximately 81 sites in the Air Force Medical Service," said Captain Hendricks.

Currently, two technicians in Diagnostic Immunology are fully trained on the new instrument. Laboratory craftsman Staff Sgt. Kristin Parsons appreciates the time saved by the new equipment.

"Acquiring this new instrument has changed our work center immensely," said Sergeant Parsons.  "Because of our workload, the technicians were working swing shifts and weekends. This instrument will help us go back to our regular hours." 

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