Providing Treatment for Lung Disease

Best Children's Hospitals - US News & World Report - Pulmonology

The Pulmonary Clinic at Arkansas Children's provides infants and children with complete diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic lung disease. It is the only Cystic Fibrosis Center in the state reviewed and approved by the national Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Nationally Ranked Pediatric Care

We provide right-sized care for your child. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Arkansas Children's in seven specialties, including Pulmonology.

Pediatric Pulmonology subspecialists provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment for children with conditions such as cystic fibrosis, chronic cough, asthma & other causes of wheezing, aspiration/dysphagia-related lung disease, chronic lung disease of prematurity (bronchopulmonary dysplasia) and a wide variety of other disorders. The Pediatric Pulmonary group, consisting of eight pediatric pulmonologists, Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine fellows, advanced practice nurses, specialty nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, nutrition specialists and others, employs a team approach; providing full-service inpatient and outpatient care.

Services offered by the Pediatric Pulmonary Division include state-of-the-art bronchoscopy, outstanding PFT laboratories and Respiratory Care services, a state-of-the-art infant PFT laboratory, a fully-accredited Pediatrics Sleep Center, the only accredited Cystic Fibrosis Center in the state, the Arkansas Center for Respiratory Technology Dependent Children (ACRTDC), and specialized clinics for asthma, chronic lung disease of infancy (BPD) and pulmonary complications of neurological and neuromuscular disorders. The ACRTDC program provides state-of-the-art-services for children requiring respiratory support at home such as a ventilator, airway clearance devices and/or have a tracheostomy. Pediatric Pulmonary physicians are an integral part of the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Center, which is one of the only 14 fully accredited Pediatric Sleep Medicine Centers in the USA.

Basic, applied and clinical research programs within the Pediatric Pulmonary Division focus on multiple areas including research in childhood sleep disorders, infant apnea, infant pulmonary function testing, asthma, aerosol medicine, cystic fibrosis, control of breathing and postnatal development of oxygen sensing.

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Possible Conditions

Specialists at the Pulmonary Clinic treat both common and complex conditions including:

  • Asthma
  • Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
  • Chronic bronchitis
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Interstitial lung disease
  • Lung problems caused by neuromuscular disease
  • Noisy breathing
  • Obstructive sleep apnea
  • Primary ciliary dyskinesia
  • Recurrent pneumonia
  • Technology-dependent children
  • Wheezing

Your Visit

If you're planning a visit to the Pulmonary Clinic at Arkansas Children's, let our Family Support Services help you.

Services are tailored for each patient and family to address your unique needs: whether you're from out-of-town, out-of-state or traveling internationally for treatment. Arkansas Children's helps overcome barriers a family may face when caring for loved ones. From assistance finding short or long-term housing, optimal scheduling of appointments, arranging transportation, meal assistance and interpreter services - we endeavor to be there when help is needed.

In addition to all the high-tech care, there are features here to make your stay more pleasant-for children and parents alike. Our hospital houses numerous playrooms for children of all ages throughout the campus and all of our patient rooms include video games and a computer with controlled Internet access.

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Locations

Traveling to Arkansas Children's?

The Regional Care Center helps families traveling from another state or country receive world-class pediatric care before, during and after your stay.

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Possible Treatments

Pulmonary function tests are a series of tests, which evaluate how well your lungs are performing.

Staffed by Licensed Respiratory Care Practitioners, pulmonary performs many tests that help physicians evaluate a patient's lung health. "Pulmonary function tests", usually called PFT's are the most frequently ordered pulmonary lab tests. Different types of PFT's can be performed depending on the age of the child. Each test requires a certain level of cooperation for the test to be successful and accurate. Generally, PFT's are ordered within the following guidelines:

  • Ages 8 and older: Spirometry every visit, lung volumes as needed
  • Ages 6 & 7: Spirometry each visit
  • Ages 3, 4 and 5: Spirometry as able (many this age cannot correctly perform test)
  • Ages up to 3: Infant pulmonary function testing

Infant Pulmonary Function testing is done in the main pulmonary lab. When patients are old enough to cooperate, they will be testing in either the pulmonary lab located on the second floor in the main hospital or the satellite pulmonary lab, which is accessible in the Sturgis building.

State-of-the-Art Lung Function Tests

Pulmonary function tests, called PFTs, are tests that see how well your lungs work. They are the most often ordered pulmonary lab tests. Our Pulmonary Clinic is staffed by Licensed Respiratory Care Practitioners and performs many tests to help physicians check a patient's lung health. To accurately diagnose and treat lung conditions in children, we offer pulmonary function tests.

Diagnostic Tests

Arkansas Center for Respiratory Technology Dependent Children (ACRTDC)


The Arkansas Center for Respiratory Technology Dependent Children (ACRTDC) is committed to providing specialized care to respiratory technology-dependent children and enhancing the quality of life through caregiver education, research, and advocacy. ACRTDC is a program in the Pulmonary section at Arkansas Children's Hospital that manages the care of children who need different types of respiratory support at home such as ventilators, bi-level, CPAP, airway clearance devices and/or have a tracheostomy. The ACRTDC team includes physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, dietitians, child life specialists, psychologists and other therapists.

ACRTDC offers specialized care and services for our patients and families. A primary pulmonologist is assigned to each patient along with a team of knowledgeable and skilled professionals. The team will assist you and your primary care physician in obtaining medically necessary services and coordinating with other specialists. Children in the ACRTDC program require respiratory support at home to maintain stability and have diagnoses such as:

  • Cerebral palsy
  • Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
  • Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome
  • Neuromuscular disorders
  • Spina bifida
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Bronchiectasis (non-cystic fibrosis)
  • Interstitial lung disease
  • Primary ciliary dyskinesia

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