Pulmonary Clinic

Providing Treatment for Lung Disease

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.

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.

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.

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