The Pediatric Allergy polyclinic serves patients in diagnosis and treatment of all allergic diseases, including asthma, exercise-induced asthma, asthma presenting only with coughing, allergic rhinitis (allergic flu), urticaria (rash) and angioedema, atopic dermatitis (eczema), food allergy, drug allergy, venom (bee) allergy, mastocytosis, recurrent wheezing and chronic cough.
The department consists of polyclinic rooms, an allergy test room for skin, drug and food provocation (loading) tests and a respiratory laboratory for respiratory function tests as well as bronchial and exercise provocation tests. Higher-risk patients requiring closer observation are admitted to the pediatric inpatient ward or pediatric intensive care unit, where food/drug loading tests or drug desensitization procedures can be performed.
Treatments and Practices of the Pediatric Allergy
- Diagnostic tests for allergic patients utilizing approximately 300 different specific IgE and component-specific IgE antibodies
- Skin tests for allergies to pollens, house mites, cats, dogs, horses, fungi, cockroach, latex, bumblebees, wasps and numerous food items; and immunotherapy for eligible cases (in the form of a vaccine or sublingual doses)
- Food loading (provocation) tests aimed at diagnosing food allergies or finding out whether or not reaction to food persists
- Food immunotherapy with baked products for children allergic to cow milk and eggs
- Determination of inadequate calcium and protein intake in cases of allergy to cow milk and multiple foods; regulation of daily calcium and protein intake for specific age groups in coordination with our dietitian
- Skin and drug provocation tests utilizing penicillin, anesthetics and painkillers to diagnose drug allergies
- Spirometry and plethysmography tests at the respiratory function laboratory for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of asthma and other airway diseases
- Impulse oscillometer test that enables respiratory function testing among children younger than five years of age
- Follow-up and supportive treatment of allergic patients as necessary in collaboration with an allergist, dietitian, psychiatrist and psychologist
Pollen counting
Since 2018, we have been regularly conducting pollen and fungus counts using the Burkard pollen counting device, which is installed on the attic floor of Koç University Hospital, in collaboration with the Experimental Palynology Laboratory of Ankara University-School of Medicine, Department of Biology.
Food allergy (IgE-mediated and non-IgE-mediated)
Our department is capable of carrying out skin and blood tests with numerous food items to diagnose IgE-mediated food allergy. Loading tests can be configured to varying intensities for different patients. These tests are essentially planned in accordance with severity of food allergy cases, and can be conducted during 4-5 hours of observation in the allergy test room at the polyclinic or by hospitalization at the pediatric ward/intensive care unit overnight.
Collaboration with other departments
Some non-IgE-mediated food allergy cases require observation in collaboration with the departments of pediatric allergy and pediatric gastroenterology. Also in collaboration with the departments of pediatric gastroenterology, dietetics and pathology, we hold regular follow-ups of eosinophilic esophagitis patients; make differential diagnosis and perform endoscopic/pathologic investigations of patients suspected for enterocolitis or enteropathy associated with protein allergy; and follow up on nutritional issues.
Service Subcategories of Pediatric Allergy
- Polyclinic, observation unit, inpatient ward, emergency service, pediatric intensive care unit
- Allergy test room: Skin allergy tests, drug and food loading tests
- Services available at the allergy laboratory: Conventional skin tests, allergen extract-specific tests, single (RAST) or multiple-panel (microarray) specific IgE tests aimed at protein fractions/components of allergens
- Respiratory function laboratory: Differential diagnosis and follow-up of asthma by means of spirometry and plethysmography in addition to impulse oscillometry (IOS), a simpler method suitable for children as young as 3-4 years of age, and bronchodilator reversibility tests
“Outpatient services for hives are available from 13:30 to 16:30 on Mondays and 13:30 to 14:30 on Thursdays at Pediatric Allergy outpatient clinic.”
“Outpatient services for Atopic Dermatitis are available from 10:00 to 12:30 on Mondays and 13:30 to 15:00 on Thursdays at Pediatric Allergy outpatient clinic.”