Contact Allergen Bank Australia – A mail order allergen service
Contact Allergen Bank Australia (CABA) is based on an idea which originated in Denmark and is a new initiative in Australia to assist dermatologists to diagnose allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). It involves the preparation of individualised patch tests which are sent out to dermatologists’ practices.
CABA aims:
- To provide Australian dermatologists, particularly those in regional centres, with access to comprehensive patch testing resources, available in a timely manner
- To improve the prognosis of patients with contact dermatitis, with the identification of allergens relevant to their skin condition
- To collect data on the results of patch testing nationally
- To enable dermatologists to develop experience and expertise in contact dermatitis, without the costs of purchasing allergens or paying for nursing staff
How it works
Dermatologists select the patch test series that they would like to test on a particular patient. The patch tests are then prepared at the Skin Health Institute, Victoria and mailed to the dermatologist, together with a test sheet, prepared from our computerised patch testing program, PatchCams©. The dermatologist subsequently reports the patch test reactions to the centre for recording in our database. This process is now available online. Once you have registered for CABA you will be given access to the website. In addition, patient information sheets for more than 70 allergens will be available on the PatchCams© website.
If you would like more information about CABA, please visit the CABA section of this website, or to register email [email protected] or download the CABA brochure here.