Allergy/Immunology at John Hunter Children's Hospital

The Paediatric Allergy and Immunology Department at John Hunter Children's Hospital is committed to improve the lives of children with allergy and immune disorders.

The immune system is a complex network of cells and proteins that protect the body against infection.

Overactivity of the immune system causes allergic disorders and autoimmune diseases.

Allergic disorders occur when the immune system produces an excessive response to proteins such as pollen and foods. These include food, stinging insect or drug allergy, anaphylaxis (life threatening allergic reaction), hay fever, sinus disease, asthma, urticaria (hives), dermatitis and eczema.

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mounts a response against normal components of the body. These can be confined to one part of the body such as autoimmune thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes or may affect many different parts of the body such as systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile dermatomyositis and systemic vasculitis.

Underactivity of the immune system, also known as immunodeficiency can be inherited or acquired. As a result the patient is prone to serious infections. Inherited conditions include X-linked agammaglobulinemia, common variable immune deficiency, and chronic granulomatous disease while acquired conditions include AIDS.

The team consists of a doctor, clinical nurse consultant and paediatric dietician. We have established links with the paediatric respiratory, dermatology, gastroenterology and rheumatology services. The service also liaises with adult immunology colleagues.

John Hunter Children's Hospital provides comprehensive specialist advice regarding management of all aspects of paediatric allergy and immune system related disorders. Special areas of interest are food allergy, eczema and primary immune deficiencies.

What services are provided?

The service provides both inpatient and outpatient care to children (0-16 years of age) with allergy and immune disorders.

Allergy diagnosis is made on the basis of a detailed history, including a birth history, family history, detailed history of reaction to food, growth and development and dietary history. Skin prick tests and blood tests may be organised and a food challenge may be recommended.

If patient has had anaphylaxis or is found to be at risk of anaphylaxis on the basis of history then an Epipen/Anapen may be prescribed. Our Clinical nurse consultant will provide education to the family in the use of the Epipen/Anapen and will also educate the staff at the preschool or school the child attends.

A clinical nurse consultant also provides education in the management of eczema including the application of wet dressings.

Skin prick tests (SPT) are provided by the Paediatric Respiratory Laboratory. An appointment to the Paediatric Allergy Clinic automatically gets you an appointment for a SPT which if done during your clinic visit will be interpreted by Dr Bhatia and appropriate advice will be provided in our clinic.

You may be referred by your General Practitioner directly to the respiratory lab for SPT, however the lab does not provide any interpretation of the SPT and that will need to be done by your referring doctor.

The service also organises and performs food challenges every Wednesday in ward J2. These challenges are important to confirm food allergies and also to determine if your child has outgrown the food allergy.

Immunotherapy services are also available in conjunction with our adult immunology clinics.

Dietary advice for avoidance of foods your child is allergic to as well as advice in maintaining a nutritionally adequate diet and the institution of an elimination diet if required is provided by our allergy dietitian.

Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy to patients with primary immune deficiencies is provided on ward J2.

How do I make an appointment?

Your General practitioner or specialist can send a referral to Paediatric Allergy Services through the Paediatric Outpatient Department. Referrals can be faxed on (02)49 213599.

Please make sure that your doctor includes all relevant details. Based on that information the referral will be triaged to either urgent (seen within 30 days) or non-urgent.