The Portimão Unit of the Centro Hospitalar do Algarve (CHA) already has an Immunoalergology consultation, officially starting in September, but operating since July, announced today the CHA.
Access to this consultation is made through the family doctor, the Health Center, or by referral from the assistant physician of another hospital specialty.
Pedro Morais Silva, specialist physician, responsible for the Immunoalergology consultation at the Hospital de Portimão, explains that the consultation is divided into adult care and care for children with different functioning and access.
"While in the case of adults, referral is made directly to the Immunoalergology consultation, in Pediatrics there is an exclusive referral of pediatricians, that is, family doctors do not directly refer a child to an Immunoalergology appointment, but to pediatrics, after which, if necessary, the patient is referred to my consultation. In addition, I am available to receive patients from any other specialty of the Hospital during consultations and I go to the emergency department whenever necessary”, emphasizes the clinician.
The CHA stresses that the new Immunoalergology consultation represents “a great asset for users of the Barlavento Algarvio, since this specialty did not exist until then” at the hospital in Portimão.
In early July, when he took up his duties, Pedro Morais Silva began by ensuring the response to consultation requests through internal hospital referrals.
Until mid-September, only through referrals for consultations from other hospital services, around 80 consultations for adults and as many pediatric consultations had been carried out.
As of September, requests from the Health Centers began to be received, which are now starting to be scheduled.
An important component of the Immunoalergology consultation is the performance of skin prick tests, a reference exam for the diagnosis of respiratory, drug and food allergy.
These tests were already carried out in the Special Exams service by the specialties of Otorhinolaryngology and Pulmonology and their performance has now been extended to the Pediatrics consultation.
This examination is carried out by the Nursing team of the Special Examinations services (where the consultation of adults takes place) and Pediatrics, who dedicate part of their work to direct support to the Immunoalergology consultation.
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