Here are general instructions on what to expect during the week of Patch Testing.
Monday
- You may shower and apply deodorant the morning of your first appointment. You may NOT shower or bathe again until after your last appointment on Friday.
- You cannot perform or participate in activities that will move the patches or cause you to sweat.
- Do not apply any lotion, cream, or ointments to your back or upper arms the morning of testing. You may use your medication on other parts of your body that are not being tested.
- It may be necessary to shave the body hair on your back and arms for testing. If you choose to do this yourself, please do it the night before your first appointment.
- We advise patients to wear a button-down shirt to your first appointment. After your appointment, you will be restricted from raising your arms above your head to get dressed once patches are applied.
- If you have long hair, bring a hair tie or a clip to keep your hair off your back while patches are placed.
You may experience itching and burning at the test sites. This is normal. You may take over the counter antihistamines to help calm the effect. If you are uncomfortable and need emergency help, you may call our office during normal business hours: Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine at 215-662-2737 or Penn Medicine Radnor at 610-902-2400. If it is after hours, you may call 215-662-4000 and ask for the resident on call for dermatology.
Wednesday
- Please wear older or dark colored clothing to your appointments. We will be using a highlighter and a purple skin marker on your back that may transfer to and stain your clothing.
Friday
- The doctor reads the final results of the test, 96 hours into the test, and reviews the results with you at this visit.
- Expected reactions: A positive patch test will be red, raised, and itchy possibly lasting several weeks. Sometimes the skin will blister resulting in discoloration over the area on your back that may take time to fade.
After Friday
- If you develop a late reaction at the test sites after the Friday appointment, please take a picture of the area and call one of our offices during normal business hours: Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine at 215-662-2737 or Penn Medicine Radnor at 610-902-2400 as soon as possible.
Cancellations
There is a $200 no-show fee if your appointment is not cancelled by 3 pm the Wednesday prior to your appointment. You will not be rescheduled for a new test date until that payment is received and credited to your account.
Insurance
If you have a co-pay, it will be due on the Monday and Friday of testing.
If your health insurance requires a referral, this must be requested ahead of time. It will need to cover three visits. Your referral will need to include our office NPI 1225426349, diagnosis code L30.9 and the procedure code 95044. The referral can be faxed to Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine at 215-615-3424 or Penn Medicine Radnor at 610-902-2404.
If you do not bring a referral to your appointment, your appointment will be cancelled, and you will be charged the $200 no-show fee. Please contact your primary care provider in advance.