The Cystic Fibrosis and Pulmonary Center
Services
The Cystic Fibrosis and Pulmonary Center at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital offers advanced care for children suffering from acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term or recurring) breathing problems. We also provide comprehensive care to adults with cystic fibrosis. We provide both inpatient and outpatient care and consultations.
Common symptoms that are evaluated include:
- Shortness of breath
- Productive coughing (cough that brings up mucus)
- Nonproductive coughing (“dry” cough)
- Wheezing and other types of stridor (noisy breath)
- Chest pain or tightness
- Snoring
Common disorders that are diagnosed and treated include:
- Acute pneumonia/complicated pneumonia with pleural effusion (fluid in the chest)
- Acute respiratory distress
- Allergies
- Apnea of prematurity or infancy
- Asthma (or difficult-to-treat asthma)
- Atelectasis
- Breathing disorders secondary to gastroesophageal reflux
- Breathing disorders secondary to neurological disorders
- Bronchitis (acute and chronic)
- Bronchiolitis
- Bronchomalacia
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
- Bronchiectasis
- Chest wall abnormalities
- Chronic respiratory insufficiency due to chronic lung diseases or neuromuscular diseases
- Circadian rhythm disorders (sleep-wake schedule disorders)
- Congenital airway and lung abnormalities
- Croup - recurring
- Cystic fibrosis
- Exercise intolerance/limitation and shortness of breath
- Exercise-induced asthma
- Exercise-induced bronchospasm
- Habit cough
- Hemoptysis (coughing up blood)
- Hypoventilation (breathing that is too slow or too shallow to oxygenate the body)
- Immunodeficiency diseases
- Insomnia
- Interstitial lung disease (pulmonary fibrosis)
- Laryngomalacia
- Mechanical ventilation and management
- Narcolepsy and other disorders of excessive sleepiness
- Neuromuscular disease affecting the lung
- Nasal and sinus problems, such as sinusitis, allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps
- Non-invasive mechanical ventilation, such as CPAP and APAP
- Obstructive sleep apnea and upper airway resistance syndrome
- Parasomnias, e.g., night terrors, sleepwalking disorder, etc.
- Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)
- Pneumothorax
- Pulmonary aspiration syndromes (sicknesses caused by the inhalation of toxins or irritants), such as gastroesophageal reflux
- Pulmonary complications of neurodevelopmental delay
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Recurrent pneumonia
- Respiratory rhythm disorders (central sleep apnea, infantile central apnea, CCHS)
- Sleep disorders
- Stridor
- Suspected foreign body aspiration
- Swallowing disorders (dysphagia)
- Tracheomalacia
- Tracheostomy care and management
- Upper airway obstruction
- Vocal cord dysfunction
A pulmonary evaluation may include:
- A history and physical examination
- Pulmonary function testing (breathing test)
- Chest x-ray, CT scan of chest and sinuses
- Exercise challenge testing and methacholine challenge testing
- Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy, if indicated
- Sweat test
- Blood gas analysis
Services offered include:
- Consultation and ongoing care
- Inpatient consultation
- Performance and interpretation of pulmonary function testing
- Evaluation of special chest imaging studies (CT scan, MRI)
- Sleep studies (Polysomnograms)
- Allergy testing
- Vaccination for RSV and influenza prevention
- Assistance with management of technology-dependent pediatric patients, including home cardiorespiratory monitoring, oxygen dependence, permanent tracheostomy, and chronic assisted ventilation (non-invasive and ventilator-dependent care). See mechanical ventilation and management and tracheostomy care and management for more information.
For referral to a physician for your child, please call Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Physician Referral Service toll-free at (866) JDCH-DOC. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
