first appointment with consultant - what to expect

[bakedalaska]

My daughter has been referred for a suspected egg allergy. I am pretty sure it was the (well-cooked) scrambled egg I fed her, as she had eaten everything else before with no reaction. After about 5 minutes she developed a raised blotchy rash on her face, vomited, then turned pasty white with very bloodshot eyes and started passing out. She didn't seem to have any trouble breathing. NHS direct sent an ambulance but by the time we got to the hospital she'd vomited most of it up and was a much better. The dr on duty at the hospital acted like we were pests for bringing her in.

Our appointment is the week before we go on hol. I would like to know how serious this is and what else she is allergic to.

Is it realistic to expect to find get this from our first appointment?

Also the consultant is a paediatrician. Is that right or should it be an allergy specialist?

gawd, how annoying.

Did dd manage the blood test OK? I presume your results are going to the GP - in your shoes, I might phone them and see if you can book a follow-up consultant appointment now (please disregard my advice if you want, I know I can be a bit pushy!) because the waiting list is so long. I mean even if the blood tests don't show she's allergic, you'll want the skin prick tests done I guess.

I do want the skin tests done. I believe that the registrar thought that the blood tests would show + for egg and that would be enough. I suspect that's right but I would like to know about other foods. Why play russian roulette? I don't understand why it takes a consultant to order skin tests. Is it because they are expensive? I will pay privately if ultimately I don't get what I want. (I tend to push some before throwing up my hands in disgust.)

She also said that a consultant would have to decide whether we need to carry around an adrenaline injection. At the time I thought she meant that DD would be seeing the consultant but maybe he just reviews her notes.

Oh, meant to say poor dd and the blood sample. There was a whole room full of people including a play specialist but that didn't keep her from crying her eyes out. We could hear the other kids screaming in there before and after us too.

the thing about skin tests is that if they produce a reaction you need to have someone around who knows how to deal with it. Don't see why they couldn't be done without a consultant personally as long as you're in a hospital. At our clinic nurses do them, then you see a consultant to discuss the results. If a child does react badly the doctors are there but they don't do the tests. Skin prick tests aren't pleasant but if she tests positive for nut you should have a test for lupin flour too.

If they haven't told you to book a follow up appointment with the consultant I'd see your gp and ask them to book you one.