Clinical Immunology and Allergology

Allergology and clinical immunology is the branch specialising in the management of diseases related to immune system abnormalities. This department is part of the Central Institute of Hospitals and has two main areas of activity:

Clinical activity: specialist doctors provide outpatient consultations for patients suffering from autoimmune diseases, allergies or immune deficiencies. The doctors also participate in the care of hospitalised patients via a 24-hour on-call service for the Valais Hospital, the Riviera-Chablais Hospital, the Clinique Romande de Réadaptation-SUVA and private practitioners. Our department works closely with hospital clinical departments, including internal medicine, pulmonology, rheumatology (CRR), neurology, nephrology, ENT, haematology, infectious diseases and pathology. These collaborations enable coordinated care and easier access to specialist advice for patients with allergic, autoimmune or immune deficiency diseases.

The laboratory's work mainly involves detecting and measuring multiple autoantibodies associated with autoimmune diseases. Under the responsibility of immunology, other analyses are also carried out, in particular the detection of antibodies associated with allergies (IgE), markers of inflammation, tumour markers and the search for monoclonal gammopathies. Finally, the laboratory screens for possible congenital and acquired immunological deficiencies (antibody deficiencies, lymphocyte typing for monitoring HIV patients).
The immunology-allergology department works for all hospitals and practitioners in Valais and Chablais. The laboratory also carries out specialised analyses in the field of neuroimmunology for hospitals in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino.

Outpatient consultations in allergology and clinical immunology are available every weekday at the Central Institute of Hospitals in Sion. Consultations are also available on Tuesdays and Fridays at the Riviera-Chablais Hospital in Rennaz, at the Espace Santé Rennaz.

Waiting times vary depending on the reason for the consultation. Urgent cases are given priority.

Several specialist consultations related to immunology and allergology are also available to doctors. These consultations are offered at the Central Institute. These include a paediatric allergology consultation, a joint dermatology and immunology consultation for autoimmune and/or allergic skin conditions, and a specialist consultation in inflammatory rheumatology and neuroimmunology.