Allergy Clinic

The Allergy Clinic helps by treating children and youth with allergies to foods and/or medications, environmental allergies, allergies to latex and insect stings, and allergic diseases including Asthma, Rhinitis, Sinusitis, Urticaria, Atopic Dermatitis (eczema),and Eosinophilic Esophagitis.

Your child’s care may be provided by a resident (a doctor specializing in pediatrics), a subspecialty resident (a pediatrician specializing in Allergy and Immunology), a registered nurse, a registered dietitian, or a medical student, all under the guidance of the pediatric allergist.

What to expect

Your child will need a referral from a physician to be seen in the Allergy Clinic.

Depending on the urgency of the problem, the wait for appointment can range from one month to two years. You'll be notified of your child’s appointment by mail or a phone call.

On the day of your appointment, please bring:

• Your child's health card
• Your appointment letter
• A list of medications
• Any medications needed during your visit
• Name and telephone number of your referring physician and/or family physician
• Any foods that you suspect your child is allergic to, that can be used for doing skin testing
• A list of questions you and/or your child may have for the physician. Also, remember to ask for any instructions from the doctor or letters of medical necessity that you may need for school
• Books, games, snacks, diapers, change of baby clothes or other necessities

A nurse will call you from the waiting area and measure your child’s height and weight and sometimes do vital signs including temperature and blood pressure. The nurse will then place you and your child in an examination room and ask you some questions about the reasons for your child’s visit to allergy clinic, a list of medications that your child is currently taking on a regular basis, any antihistamines that your child may have had in the previous five days and if your child has an epinephrine auto-injector.

The allergist will then see you and your child. For an initial visit, a detailed history will be taken and a thorough assessment will be done by the allergist regarding the reason your child has been referred to the allergy clinic. Each child is examined and assessed on an individual basis and after discussion with a parent or guardian a personalized plan of care is determined. Your child’s visit may include or be followed by diagnostic tests such as skin tests, blood tests, chest x-rays, pulmonary function tests, or more specialized tests for allergies.

For a follow up visit, the allergist will assess how your child has been doing since the previous visit. For a food or medication challenge, the physician will examine your child to determine if the challenge can be safely performed that day and will obtain consent for the procedure.

Your child may then be brought back to the treatment area of the Medical Day unit for further testing or education, or to commence the challenge. Follow up care, if required, will be reviewed prior to leaving. The booking clerk will notify you of follow up appointments by mail and/or a phone call.