Abstract

A Southampton GP has told us about the effect of our article on his practice: ‘Two difficult patients turned up that week, one a little girl with severe urticaria who was baffling the dermatologists and paediatricians, the other an 18-year-old with hot flushes which were occurring almost hourly through the day and were defying attempts at help. I followed your detailed instructions and both girls are now cured, their tartrazine allergies having been recognised and confirmed by tests with pure tartrazine.’ Perhaps ingestion of this dye causes urticaria, asthma and non-thrombocytopenic purpura more commonly than we realise.