A patient arrives at a clinic with a history of severe allergic reactions of unknown origin. The medical assistant is instructed to perform an intradermal skin test to identify potential allergens. What is the most important step to ensure the accuracy of the test results?
Ensure that minor bleeding is controlled before measuring the reaction
Apply a bandage to the test site after injecting the allergen
Verify the patient’s identity before beginning the procedure
Cleanse the test site thoroughly with alcohol before administering the allergenic extract
Ensuring the test site is clean and devoid of any lotions or creams is critical. If the site is contaminated with substances that could interfere with the test, it could cause a false positive or false negative result by either triggering a reaction by itself or by preventing a reaction from an allergen. Cleansing with alcohol removes these contaminants. Proper patient identification is essential in all procedures but does not directly influence the accuracy of the intradermal test results. While minor bleeding may occur, it does not typically impact the test outcome unless significantly altering the test site's appearance. Similarly, applying a bandage is not related to the accuracy of the results, as the reading is based on the skin's response.
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