Pneumology

The services of the pneumology department include the specialised assessment, care and treatment of infants, children and adolescents with the following problems and diseases:

• Unexplained or chronic cough, shortness of breath, noisy breathing (stridor) or other respiratory problems such as pseudocroup
• Asthma in all age categories (including allergy diagnostics and desensitisation in collaboration with the Allergology Department at UKBB)
• Breathing problems during (top-level) sport or other activities
• Recurrent bronchitis and pneumonia
• Tuberculosis or contact with tuberculosis (contact point also for school medical offices, immigration authorities, etc.)
• Cystic fibrosis (Centre NW-Switzerland), cystic fibrosis (multidisciplinary care in collaboration with other departments at UKBB)
• Lung diseases (in premature and newborn babies)
• Congenital malformations of the airways and lungs
• Breathing problems during sleep (obstructive sleep apnoea, snoring, apnoea, breathing pauses)
• Removal of foreign bodies in the airways
• Rare lung diseases (e.g. primary ciliary dyskinesia)
• Respiratory problems following oesophageal atresia surgery and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (multidisciplinary care with other departments at the UKBB)
• Breathing problems due to muscle weakness (e.g. Duchenne muscular dystrophy)
• Lung diseases in systemic diseases, in connection with chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation
• Acute and chronic respiratory insufficiency of any cause
• Tracheostomy, home ventilation and oxygen therapy

• Modern lung function laboratory with the option of lung function testing, from around the age of 4/5 (also younger for special questions)
• Whole-body plethysmography, spirometry, FRC measurement, CO diffusion
• Pulse oscillometry (respiratory mechanics without co-operation)
• Measurement of respiratory muscle strength
• Determination of the NO content in exhaled air (oral and nasal) for the diagnosis of asthma and primary ciliary dyskinesia
• Treadmill stress tests
• Drug-based bronchial provocation tests (metacholine, mannitol)
• Welding test diagnostics (Nanoduct and Macroduct method)
• Bronchoscopy (tracheoscopy) both fibreoptic and rigid (usually under anaesthetic)
• Radiological examinations (X-ray, ultrasound, computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, etc.)
• Sleep laboratory: This is where investigations are carried out on children who suffer from breathing difficulties during sleep, for example extreme snoring, sleep apnoea or others. This usually involves an overnight stay at the UKBB. In addition to breathing and cardiovascular functions, brain function is also closely monitored during sleep and the child is filmed for further sleep analysis. The sleep examination is evaluated by specialists in paediatric pneumology and neuropaediatrics and allows a holistic assessment of sleep disorders in children of all ages. The laboratory is run by PD Dr Daniel Trachsel (pneumology) and PD Dr Alexandre Datta (neuropaediatrics).

The treatment of complex lung diseases is a team effort. In the USB Lung Centre and the UKBB, proven specialists from diagnostic, medical and surgical disciplines are united in a well-coordinated team.

Surgical procedures on the lungs are performed at UKBB by the paediatric surgery team, led by Prof Stefan Holland-Cunz, MD, carried out.