Our team sees children with a variety of respiratory conditions. Common problems seen can involve the nasal passages and throat, the larynx and airways, and lower down in the lungs and chest wall.
We see children with various presentations of respiratory disease, and offer evaluation of children with the following symptoms:
- Persistent cough
- Excessive phlegm and chestiness
- Breathing problems and exercise-related breathing problems
- Persistent or recurrent stridor
- Persistent or recurrent wheezing
- Frequent chest infections
- Abnormalities in chest X-rays
- Poor sleep, restless sleep, snoring, and difficulty maintaining sleep or excessive daytime sleepiness
We also see children with the following conditions:
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Asthma
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Allergic Rhinitis
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Pneumonia
- Other respiratory tract infections such as Bronchitis
- Pleural diseases
- Chronic pulmonary diseases such as Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease, Bronchiectasis, Cystic Fibrosis, and Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
- Immunodeficiency manifesting with frequent chest infections (in conjunction with our immunology colleagues)
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Neuromuscular Disorders
- Lung aspiration syndromes, including swallowing abnormalities
- Children with home ventilation requirements
- Chest wall deformities
- Congenital abnormalities of the airways and lungs
- Sleep-related breathing disorders (such as obstructive sleep apnoea) and common behavioural sleep problems
- Other diseases with lung involvement
Lung Function And Allergy Testing
We provide a comprehensive diagnostic service which includes a lung function laboratory offering various tests to diagnose childhood respiratory conditions. These include spirometry, lung volumes, diffusion capacity, exercise stress testing as well as exhaled nitric oxide evaluation. We also have facilities for lung function assessment in preschool children using impedance oscillometry. As allergy is an integral part of asthma, we also offer tests for allergy, such as skin prick testing and in-vitro blood testing if required, as part of the evaluation of the allergic child.
Paediatric Fibreoptic Bronchoscopy Service
We provide a paediatric flexible fibreoptic bronchoscopy service, including broncho-alveolar lavage, for all age groups ranging from newborns to adolescent patients. This is a procedure that allows us to closely evaluate the lungs and airways, obtain samples for further investigation, and treat certain airway and lung conditions. Most procedures can be performed under sedation without the need for general anaesthesia.
Chronic Pulmonary Disease
We manage a wide range of chronic lung disorders including (and not limited to) Bronchiectasis, Childhood Interstitial Lung Diseases, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and Cystic Fibrosis.
A full range of lung function tests, radiological and pathological facilities are available for diagnosis and evaluation. Sweat testing by pilocarpine iontophoresis for the screening of cystic fibrosis is also available in our centre.
We work closely with our physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists, social workers and other paramedical staff to provide long-term holistic care for children with chronic respiratory disorders.
We also have multidisciplinary clinics for children with
neuromuscular disorders. Patients see the paediatrician specialising in pulmonary medicine and sleep along with other specialists in the same clinic session to minimise the number of trips that they need to make to the hospital. Our team closely monitors the patient's respiratory status, and provides care for any respiratory complications that may arise from the patient's underlying condition. For the management of more advanced disease, we provide home respiratory support care and home ventilation services.
Aero-Digestive Service
Children with swallowing disorders may present with feeding problems and/or recurrent or chronic lung disease due to recurrent aspiration into the airways and lungs.
We provide clinical evaluation of patients who are suspected to have these difficulties in our aero-digestive clinic. The evaluation is made through a multidisciplinary approach together with our paediatrician specialising in gastroenterology, nutrition, hepatology and liver transplantation, dietitians and swallowing specialists. The evaluation may involve diagnostic tests such as Laryngoscopy or Bronchoscopy, FEES (Fibre-Optic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing) and Videofluoroscopy. After a diagnosis has been made, the patient can then be managed and followed up appropriately.
We also provide ongoing assessment and rehabilitation for children who have undergone Tracheostomy Insertion, including training for speech and vocalisation.