Pulmonology

For consultation, appointments, and assistance call
(361) 694-4447 or 694-4580 (Pulmonary Function Lab).

Respiratory illnesses can include a variety of problems, including colds, flu, runny noses, coughs, and sore throats. Some children may also have chronic illnesses that affect the breathing system, including asthma and cystic fibrosis (CF).

Most children will develop at least six to eight colds, or other respiratory illness a year. This number may even be higher in children who attend daycare.

The following are some general facts about respiratory disorders in children:

• Ten to 15 percent of children with a respiratory infection may have pneumonia.
• Adolescents get colds, on average, two to four times a year.
• Eighty percent of bronchiolitis - a wheezing, asthma-like viral respiratory infection - occurs in the first year of life.
• Approximately 30,000 people in the US are affected each year with CF, and about 2,500 babies are born with the disease each year.
• Approximately 24.7 million people in the US have been diagnosed with asthma, with at least five million of them children under the age of 18.

Description of Services:

Complete diagnostic, therapeutic and consultive services for infants, children and adolescents with chronic respiratory disorders such as:

• Cystic Fibrosis
• Asthma
• Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
• Premature lung problems
• Chronic cough
• Recurrent pneumonia
• Chronic bronchitis
• Pulmonary Hypertension
• Tracheostomy
• Home ventilators
• Sleep problems
• Apnea
• Lung Malformations
• Muscle Problems that Affect Breathing
• Swallow Dysfunctions
• Many other less common lung diseases

Full range of pulmonary function and treatment services including:

• Spirometry
• Blood gas analysis
• Sleep studies and treatment
• Gastric pH reflux studies and treatment
• Oxygen supplement studies and treatment
• Reactive airways challenges