Pediatric Lung Tests & Treatments
Your pediatric pulmonologist may order X-rays, CT scans, blood tests, lung function testing or bronchoscopy to learn about your child’s respiratory health.
Pulmonary Function Tests
Lung function tests show how well your child breathes in and out and how well oxygen enters the blood. Specific exams include:
- Spirometry – Your child takes a deep breath and then blows it out quickly while a device (spirometer) measures the amount of air
- Diffusion study – Your child inhales a small amount of a safe gas, and a spirometer measures how much the lungs absorb
- Plethysmography – Your child takes a deep breath and exhales through a mouthpiece, and a device measures how much air is left in the lungs
Bronchoscopy
Bronchoscopy uses a thin tube with a light and camera to look at your child's airways in the hospital. Before the procedure, your child will receive medicine to prevent pain and make him or her relax. Then, a pulmonologist will insert the tube through the nose or mouth.
The doctor will be able to examine your child’s airways and obtain samples of fluid from your child’s lungs.
This will allow the doctor to better examine the function of the airways as well as allowing them to prescribe appropriate medications.
Pediatric Sleep Studies
Sleep testing shows whether your child has trouble breathing during sleep. Your child will spend the night at our comfortable sleep lab, University Hospital or a hotel room while a technician closely monitors his or her breathing.
Medications
Your pediatric pulmonologist will work with your family to prescribe the right medication or combination of medications, so your child gets the most relief from his or her condition. This may include biologic therapies for children with severe asthma who require frequent doses of steroids.
Biological Therapies for Asthma
If your child has severe asthma, biological therapies may help. Your child will receive injections to treat asthma that an inhaler alone does not control, so he or she can breathe easier.
