Who to refer:
- Children with anaphylaxis, i.e. allergy symptoms that affect breathing (cough, wheeze, stridor or breathlessness), the gut (severe prolonged vomiting) or the circulation (faintness, floppiness or signs of shock, collapse)
- Children with food allergies who receive regular asthma preventative treatment and/or poorly controlled asthma
- Poorly controlled allergic rhinitis only after a trial of daily nasal steroid spray together with a daily non-sedating antihistamine for a minimum of 3 months.
- Where diagnosis is not clear and needs to be confirmed or excluded
- Children with suspected food allergy who also have severe eczema
- Multiple food allergies
- Systemic insect sting reactions
Who not to refer:
- People over the age of 18 years.
- Single uncomplicated food allergies, i.e. not anaphylaxis. These patients may be referred to the General Medical Pediatric Service if not able to be managed in Primary Care
- Minor reactions to foods such as strawberries, tomatoes and aubergines are common and do not generally need referral into the allergy service Oral Allergy Syndrome opens a new window
- Egg allergy Egg Allergy opens a new window
- Single urticarial reactions without obvious triggers
- Non-allergic chronic urticaria
- Well controlled Allergic Rhinitis, Asthma or Eczema
- Mild to moderate eczema without obvious allergic trigger
- Localized insect sting reactions
- Delayed type food allergy presenting primarily with gastrointestinal symptoms
How to refer
- Referrals should be made via SCI gateway
- For patients within the city of Edinburgh, East and Midlothian, please refer to:
RHCYP > Allergy Services > LI Allergy Basic Referral
- For patients within West Lothian, please refer to:
SJH > Medical Paediatrics > LI Allergy Basic Referral
Essential information to include in referral:
- Symptoms of allergic reaction
- Suspected triggers
- Timing between trigger exposure and onset of symptoms.
