General Anaesthetic Allergy Clinic
The General Anaesthetic Allergy Clinic accepts referrals from anaesthetic and surgical colleagues on patients who have had a suspected perioperative allergic reaction.
Referrals must be received on the anaesthetic allergy clinic referral form, and be accompanied by a copy of the relevant perioperative notes.
These should include anaesthetic notes and medication records. Blood samples should be obtained as outlined in the referral form.
Appendix 1 and 2 of the anaesthetic allergy clinic referral form should be completed whilst the patient awaits an appointment at the clinic for assessment.
A link to the referral form is listed below:
Anesthetic allergy referral form
For clinicians requiring anaesthetic allergy advice, whilst patients are on the waiting list to be seen at clinic, please email AnaesAnaphylaxis@belfasttrust.hscni.net to request advice.
Staffing
The clinic delivered by both immunology and anaesthetic staff. The following staff oversee the clinic:
Dr Anne McClelland, Consultant Anaesthetist
Dr Lisa Devlin, Consultant Immunologist
Dr Tanya Coulter, Consultant Immunologist
Ms Claire Hastings, Anaesthetic physician’s assistant
S/N Maureen McVeigh, Allergy Nurse Specialist
Dr Jayne Mc Guckan, Immunology specialist trainee
General Anaesthetic Allergy Clinic
The clinic operates on Tuesday mornings and is located in the following location:
Level 9 Cardiovascular & Respiratory Clinic
Critical Care Centre,
Royal Victoria Hospital,
Belfast
BT12 6BA.
Please refer to accessibly section of website for directions.
Anaesthetic Allergy Patient Information
Why have I been referred to this clinic?
Your surgeon or anaesthetist has referred you to this clinic to investigate symptoms that occurred during a previous surgical procedure. The consultation will aim to establish if these symptoms were due to an allergic reaction or due to another cause (e.g. side effects of medications).
Allergic reactions occur in approximately 1:10000 patients having an anaesthetic. They can vary in severity. The most severe form of an allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis occurs quickly after exposure to an allergic substance (e.g. medications, food) and causes release of chemicals into the blood stream. These chemicals can cause problems such as a drop in blood pressure, a rash, difficulty in breathing and swelling of the tongue and throat.
What will happen at the clinic?
At the clinic we will review your medical notes from the time of the suspected reaction, and ask you some questions relating to your medical health and medications.
We may then do some allergy tests. There are 2 types of allergy tests undertaken at the clinic; blood tests and skin tests (skin prick tests and intradermal test).
You may require a second review appointment for testing.
Skin prick testing (SPT)
A tiny amount of the suspected drug or is placed on the forearm. The skin is then gently scratched. It is not painful. If you are allergic to the drug you may develop an itchy red bump on the skin after 15-20 minutes. SPT is very safe. A severe allergic reaction to skin testing is rare
Intradermal testing
This test is carried out if more information is required. Using a small needle, a small amount of the diluted drug is placed just below the skin surface. This test can cause some discomfort when the solution is injected. The skin is observed for 15-20 minutes to see if a reaction occurs. If you are allergic to the drug, you may develop an itchy red bump on the skin. A severe allergic reaction to intradermal testing is rare.
Both tests are carried out in a controlled environment with trained staff to deal with any rare side effects of testing.
Is there anything I need to do before attending clinic?
If you are taking antihistamines, you need to stop taking these for 72 hours before your appointment as they may affect the results of allergy skin tests. Please check any over the counter cold, sleep or flu medicines as they often contain antihistamines. If you would like advice on whether to stop a medication please use the contact details below.
Contact details
Email: AnaesAnaphylaxis@belfasttrust.hscni.net
Telephone:
02896154758
Website: