Pulmonology - Paediatric
Strong lungs and rejuvenating sleep are the foundation of your child’s health. When the lungs become infected, congested, or blocked with mucus, your child may experience sleep disorders and a host of other health complications. Paediatric Pulmonology & Sleep Medicine department has well-trained Paediatric Pulmonologists to provide comprehensive care to your child or teenager with lung diseases or sleep disorders. We have a backup team comprising of Paediatric Intensivists, Paediatric Surgeons, ENT and Airway Surgeons, Allergy Specialists, Radiologists, Microbiologists, Pulmonary Physiotherapists, Dieticians, and Speech Therapists.
Paediatric Pulmonologists at Narayana Health offer a wide range of services to evaluate, diagnose and treat children with respiratory problems. The team features pulmonologists, or also called as lung specialists with extensive experience and skills, and is supported by highly trained medical professionals, modern medical equipment for checking lung function, allergic disorders and sleep disorders, facilities including respirators and dedicated Intensive Care Units (ICU).
Pulmonologists are specialists trained to treat all ailments concerning the respiratory system. These specialists diagnose and treat conditions in adults as well as children. Most pulmonary disorders are infectious, allergic, structural, inflammatory, neoplastic, or autoimmune. Certain conditions can worsen by affecting other parts of the body.
Some of the conditions treated by the paediatric Pulmonology team are-
- Bronchial Asthma
- Chronic and recurrent respiratory infections like pneumonias
- Chronic or recurrent cough
- Allergic respiratory diseases
- Tuberculosis
- Mucociliary disorders like Cystic Fibrosis, Ciliary dyskinesia
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Sleep disorders
- Aerodigestive disorders
- Birth Defects of the Lungs
- Chronic lung disease because of premature birth
- Neuromuscular diseases affecting Lungs
- Interstitial lung diseases
- Emphysema
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Chest wall and spine disorders affecting lungs
It is recommended to consult a pulmonologist in case of any of the following symptoms:
- Breathing problems
- Unexplained weight loss
- Continuous or recurrent cough
- Coughing blood or mucus
Diagnosis of pulmonary conditions: What to expect?
Your primary care physician can refer you to a pulmonologist based on your symptoms and the severity of the condition. The pulmonologist can suggest one or a combination of procedures to gather more information about the underlying cause. These procedures also help the specialist choose the most suitable treatment option.
1. CT Scan
A CT Scan of the chest is suggested to gain a thorough understanding of the conditions of lungs, lymph nodes, bones, muscles, and blood vessels in the chest.
2. Ultrasound
An ultrasound is performed to assess and diagnose structures within the chest which include the pleural space, lungs and mediastinum.
3. Pulmonary function test
A breathing test is conducted to examine the lungs and their functioning especially for conditions like Asthma or chronic lung disease.
4. Bronchoscopy
The test is performed to determine any problems that may be concerning the airway or infections in the lungs. Most issues of the airway are about the trachea, lower airways, throat, or larynx.
5. Thoracentesis
An excess of fluid (pleural effusion) in the pleural space between the lungs and chest wall can cause trouble breathing. Thoracentesis is a procedure conducted to remove excess fluid and ease out the breathing process.
6. Chest fluoroscopy
Chest fluoroscopy is an X-ray test to examine the functioning of the lungs.
7. Pleural biopsy
A tissue sample from the pleura membrane is removed to check for any form of infection or cancer.
Services we offer
- Pulmonary function test (Spirometry): Your child blows into a mouthpiece connected to a computer that measures how well his/her lungs are working. This test is done for diseases like Asthma or chronic lung diseases. We can also do a lung function test by making your child run on a treadmill or ride a stationary bicycle to see if he has a lung condition related to exercise.
- Flexible bronchoscopy: A tiny flexible camera mounted on a scope is inserted through the nose and down into the airways. The test helps your child’s doctor look directly into the lung and the airways for infections, blockages, and other abnormalities. The doctor can also take a mucus or tissue sample for testing.
- Bronchial lavage: This also uses a flexible scope inserted through the nose and into the lungs. A small amount of saline solution is sprayed onto an area of the lung and then collected for testing. The minimally invasive test helps doctors diagnose infections especially like Tuberculosis, Pneumonia, and other lung diseases
- Rigid Bronchoscopy- This helps doctors to remove foreign bodies like peanuts etc which children sometimes accidently put in the airways
- Sleep study: A Polysomnogram (PSG) is an overnight sleep study in our sleep lab to measure and record disorders of breathing during sleep. The test is used to diagnose sleep apnoea and other sleep-related disorders which are common in children with enlarged Tonsils and adenoids, children with obesity, and other genetic conditions like Down’s syndrome, etc.
- Allergy skin prick testing: A simple test to find out whether your child’s symptoms like recurrent cough, recurrent cold, or breathlessness are due to some allergies. This test also helps identify food allergies. More than 100 allergens can be tested at our center.
Clinics
- Lung Clinics: We have regular outpatient services for Asthma, Lung infections like Pneumonia, Tuberculosis, Allergies, Chronic Lung Diseases, etc. We also offer Emergency Services 24x7 for any emergency like breathing difficulty, acute severe asthma, foreign body in the airways, etc.
- Multidisciplinary Clinics: We run multidisciplinary clinics for complicated respiratory conditions where coordinated care is essential.
1.Sleep Clinic: This is the first of its kind clinic for addressing sleep disorders in children like difficulty in sleeping or waking up, snoring and disrupted sleep, leg pains, night terrors, sleepwalking, poor sleep habits, etc. We also help mothers sleep train their infants who have difficulty sleeping through the night. To confirm breathing disorders during sleep we have facilities for doing sleep studies. The sleep clinic team comprises Pulmonologists, ENT Surgeons, Sleep Technicians, and Counsellors.
2.Cystic Fibrosis Clinic (Mucociliary Disorders): We use a team approach to care for infants, children, and adolescents with cystic fibrosis and other Mucociliary disorders like Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD). Children with these disorders present with recurrent wet cough, pneumonia, failure to gain weight, and recurrent diarrhoea. At each visit, patients are assessed by a pulmonologist, dietitian, and respiratory therapist. A geneticist and a counselor also help as required.
3.Aero digestive Clinic: This is a multidisciplinary clinic addressing the needs of children with complex breathing and feeding disorders. Aerodigestive disorders include a variety of conditions that affect the respiratory and digestive systems which may include the mouth, nose, throat, lungs, and/or oesophagus. Affected children may have various problems including difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath and chronic cough A collaborative team of paediatric doctors in Pulmonology, Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat), Gastroenterology (Digestive System), Surgery, staff and support services in Respiratory Therapy, Nursing, Speech Pathology, Nutrition and Social Work.
4.Allergy Clinic: This is a clinic wherein we do tests to identify allergies in your child. Children with allergies present with recurrent cough, recurrent cold, breathlessness, abdominal pain, vomiting, skin rashes, etc. These allergies can be in the form of aero allergens like dust, pollen, etc. or it could be a food allergy. We have a team that does allergy testing and based on the reports would advise treatment as required.
We understand that children’s health and emotional requirements are different from adults. That is why our team of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, psychologists, dieticians, and nutritionists use specialized equipment and a compassionate approach to provide the best possible treatment to kids of all ages.
