Clinical Immunology and Allergology

The Immunology-Allergology Department carries out analyses and provides clinical advice during the treatment of diseases connected to the body’s immune system. 

This department is based in the Central Institute of hospitals and incorporates two main types of activity:

• Clinical activity, as part of which specialists assess patients presenting signs of diseases connected to the body’s defence mechanisms during hospital or outpatient consultations. These assessments allow the doctors to formulate their diagnoses on the basis of either insufficient or exaggerated responses.
  In the case of allergies, sensitivity tests are carried out in order to determine their origin and whether they are of a permanent nature (work or living environment) or periodical (medicines, pollens, food…).
  In terms of immunology, the diseases, which are often rare, are treated using anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant medication in order to restore normal function in the immune system.
• Laboratory activity is focussed on detecting allergens, inflammation markers, autoantibodies, tumour markers, and/or specific proteins, in cooperation with clinical chemistry. The laboratory analyses congenital and acquired immunological deficiencies and analysis of monitoring HIV-positive patients (lymphocytes CD4).

The Immunology-Allergology Department provides support for all of the clinical institutions and practitioners of the Valais and Chablais regions.

Outpatient allergology and clinical immunology consultations are provided together with the Central Institute of hospitals on Monday, Wednesday afternoons and Thursday on the Sion site.

Consultations are also offered in Chablais Hospital in Aigle on Tuesday.

Paediatric consultations are provided to medical practitioners. They are provided on one day every month by Prof. Philippe Eigenmann, a specialist in Paediatric Allergology and Immunology at Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG) at the Central Institute of hospitals in Sion.