Pulmonary Function Laboratory

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The Pulmonary Function Laboratory at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland provides pulmonary function testing to pediatric patients who are either experiencing breathing problems or facing lung disease. By measuring the specific aspects of your child’s lung function, our team of experts is better able to make an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan—and to perform follow-up tests that can confirm their progress. And because we know how frightening this kind of testing can be, our kid-friendly facilities and pediatric technologists work hard to minimize discomfort and ensure that your child’s fears are kept at bay.

Why Families Choose Us

Pulmonary Function Test Referrals

Referral Required

Physicians: Please indicate the tests requested and fax the order form to: (510) 450-5857.  Contact the PFT laboratory if you have any questions.

• Pulmonary Function Testing Order Form

A Full Range of Pulmonary Tests for Children

• The comprehensive Pulmonary Function Laboratory at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland provides the full range of services, from a hypoxic challenge and altitude simulation studies to testing of pulmonary function in infants and children, exercise stress, and bronchoprovocation.
• The information gathered from these tests helps our certified pediatric pulmonologists understand lung diseases, lung growth, and recovery after illnesses.

Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing

A comprehensive assessment of how a child's heart and lungs respond to the stress of exercise.

• Exercise electrocardiography
  
• Exercise echocardiography
  
• Cardiopulmonary exercise testing with expiratory gas analysis
  
• Exercise testing with central hemodynamic monitoring
  
• Exercise and pharmacologic perfusion imaging

Follow-Up and Pulmonary Medication Therapies

• Not all services offered in the Pulmonary Function Lab are for diagnosis, and we're considered a top Bay Area provider of medicated aerosol therapies.
• Much of our lab equipment helps us follow patient responses to medication so that we can provide follow-up care and alter treatments to meet your child’s progress.

Comfort and Expert Care for Your Child

• Breathing tests are some of the scariest for a child to undergo, which is why we provide advanced pulmonary function testing that uses minimally-invasive procedures designed to ease your child's fears and discomforts.
• Sedation may also be available in select cases and is always provided under the care of our board certified pediatric anesthesiologists.

Pulmonary Testing for Young Children and Infants

• Some infants are born with chest deformities and defects that alter lung volumes. A special technique to "hug" the infant chest during testing allows for better evaluation of airflow rates before and after bronchodilators.
• The Sensormedics and Jaeger equipment in our facilities means that we're able to test the lung function of small infants and toddlers to help diagnose abnormalities in lung function at a very early age.