Airways team
Who are we?
Mrs Erleen Cornfield (Nurse Specialist)
Who do we see?
We see patients with difficult to control asthma, usually referred to us by other doctors within the hospital
What do we do?
We aim to provide individualised care for your asthma and to support you in managing your condition by:
improving understanding of your condition and the treatments you have been prescribed
identifying triggers for your symptoms and, if possible, ways to avoid these
finding out which therapies work best for you
helping you to identify and manage any difficulties you may have in following your treatment
reducing the number of “flare ups” of your asthma
identifying and treating any other conditions that might be contributing to your breathing problems
Where is the Airways Clinic?
The Airways Clinic is held in Clinic C, Orange Zone, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
When is the Airways Clinic?
We hold the Airways Clinic once a month, usually on a Wednesday morning
What can I expect to happen at the Airways Clinic?
A week or so before your appointment, we will send you out some questionnaires about you asthma and ask that these are completed and taken with you to your appointment
After arriving at clinic and reporting to reception you may be sent for a chest x- ray
As well as being seen by one of the Consultants (or an experienced Registrar), you will also be seen by other members of the team, which may include:
A lung physiologist: As well as measuring your peak flow, more detailed tests of your breathing are usually carried out
A nurse specialist: The specialist nurse will go over various aspects of your condition, check which medications you have been prescribed and ensure that you are taking these correctly
Our team psychologist: Many patients find it useful to speak about how asthma impacts on their life. Everyday emotions, our thoughts and how we approach things can directly affect our bodies and our breathing. It can also be very difficult to come to terms with having asthma. Distress can make it harder to manage physical difficulties. Our team psychologist can work with you to develop ways to better manage your asthma and your psychological wellbeing.
After you have been seen by the various team members, you might be asked for a blood sample.
Your appointment at the Airways Clinic may take up to 2 hours, so we suggest you take a good book!!
Useful asthma links
Click here for more information about asthma.