There is now an international consensus document providing guidelines to clinicians for the diagnosis and management of Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES). As there is no cure or standardized treatment for the disease, the guidelines provide a much needed framework and best practices for practitioners world-wide.
FPIES is a non-IgE gastrointestinal food allergy that manifests as profuse vomiting, often with diarrhea, acute dehydration, and lethargy. The most common triggers are milk and soy, but any food can cause an FPIES reaction. FPIES reactions are often delayed and begin two hours after ingestion of a trigger food.
Because FPIES does not involve telltale changes in IgE, standard blood and scratch testing for specific IgE allergies are routinely negative in FPIES patients.
International FPIES Association Founder and President Fallon Schultz says, “Dozens of FPIES experts from across the globe volunteered their time and efforts to make the I-FPIES guidelines initiative a reality. These first ever, standard of care guidelines for FPIES will fill a significant clinical gap. And beyond that, the guidelines will highlight opportunities for future research, inform health care coverage policy, and lead to needed educational programs.”
You can find out more about the guidelines – entitled International Consensus Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome – by clicking here.
