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About HKCH
Immunology, Rheumatology and Allergy
Introduction
The Immunology, Rheumatology and Allergy team at the Hong Kong Children's Hospital provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment for children with a broad spectrum of immunodeficient, autoimmune, autoinflammatory, immunodysregulatory and allergic conditions.
Symptoms of immunodeficiency include failure to thrive and recurrent infections such as pneumonia, otitis media, skin or perianal abscess, diarrhoea, deep-seated infections including liver/splenic abscess, osteomyelitis, meningitis and sepsis which may lead to multi-organ failure and may be life-threatening. Common paediatric rheumatological conditions include juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), systemic vasculitis, systemic sclerosis, and uveitis. Symptoms of autoimmune and autoinflammatory conditions include unexplained fever, skin rash, oral ulcers and lymphadenopathy.
We also accept territory-wide referrals for perioperative allergy, and provide care and support for HKCH patients with drug, food, and environmental allergies.
Our missions:
- To provide high-quality, timely, integrated, patient-centred holistic care and rehabilitation for children with complex autoimmune, immunodysregulatory and allergic conditions. Through integrating novel medical technologies and implementing a shared care model for improving their treatment response and quality of life, whilst enhancing communication and partnership with regional hospitals.
- To collaborate with patient support groups, including the Hong Kong Paediatric Rheumatism Association, Hong Kong Arthritis & Rheumatism Foundation, Primary Immunodeficiency League and Hong Kong Allergy Association, to provide psychosocial and financial support, assistance and experience sharing ; to work closely with professional societies including the Hong Kong Society for Paediatric Rheumatology and Hong Kong Society for Paediatric Immunology Allergy and Infectious Diseases to promote public awareness and education on rheumatological, immunological and allergic conditions.
- Through collaborations with national and international experts, to advance care, research and learning in the fields of paediatric rheumatology, immunology and allergy.
Our team:
Our team consists of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, prosthetists-orthotists, medical social workers, clinical psychologists, dietitians, pharmacists, play specialists, and patient support group representatives.
Patients and families can receive multidisciplinary service integrating care and support across many different specialties. We deliver novel joint rheumatology-ophthalmology, rheumatology-dermatology, anaesthesiology-allergy clinic services for patients with specific immunological conditions related to the eye (e.g. uveitis), skin (e.g. psoriasis) and allergic reactions during surgeries.
Scope of Services
- Inpatient care: provision of intensive treatment and rehabilitation to patients with more severe disease course, and drug allergy challenge and desensitisation.
- Ambulatory care centre: provision of bedside procedures and medication administration, such as intravenous immunoglobulin infusion, biologics administration, intra-articular steroid injection, and allergy skin testing.
- Specialist outpatient clinic: provision of multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment, management and follow-up for stable patients.
- Territory-wide newborn screening programme for severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) has been launched since 1st October 2021. Our specialists will perform evaluation and diagnostic workup for newborns screened positive under the programme, to exclude the possibility of SCID. We collaborate closely with the haematopoetic stem cell transplantation team to co-ordinate transplantation for children diagnosed with various severe immunodeficiencies.
Specialist Outpatient Clinic
Location:
1/F, Clinical Tower (Tower B)
Telephone:
Fax:
3512 7579
Inpatient ward
Location:
3/F, Clinical Tower (Tower B)