Current Allergy & Clinical Immunology

The annual EAACI conference is a highlight for those working in the field of allergy and immunology; it offers a carefully curated programme which affords a unique opportunity to learn about the latest discoveries in this area. The theme of the 2019 conference in Lisbon was ‘Mapping the new world of allergy: Towards precision medicine in allergy and asthma’. The meeting attracts between 7 000 and 8 000 attendees and the real challenge lies in selecting which sessions to attend, given the range of speakers and topics covered. The speakers include healthcare professionals, key scientists and opinion-leaders from around the world and the topics range from allergen structure, aerobiology, disease endotypes, biological treatments to immunotherapy, and to new developments in genomics, proteomics and metabolomics.

Clinical ethical dilemmas are common in clinical practice. If discussion with the patient and/or their family does not resolve the dilemma, the clinician should deal with the ethical issues using established frameworks and guiding principles. Some healthcare institutions have clinical ethics committees and these may be consulted for advice and recommendations.

As the second most common occupational skin disease after contact dermatitis, contact urticaria is a significant skin condition. The prevalence varies according to gender, age, history of atopy, pre-existing dermatoses, occupation, and workplace exposures. Health workers, food handlers and hairdressers are high-risk occupational groups. In the food industry, multiple foods, additives (including flavourings, preservatives and enzymes) and spices may induce immediate skin reactions and IgE-mediated sensitisation. This article discusses a case of occupational contact urticaria in a food handler working in the butchery and fishery of a local supermarket chain.