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Beacon For Kids: Respiratory

Our Respiratory service provides specialist care to children and their families. Our Team includes Consultants who specialise in Respiratory, Paediatric Nurses and the wider Multidisciplinary team who work together to provide comprehensive family centred care.

At Beacon Hospital, we work closely with GP’s and families to carry out assessments, diagnostic investigations and management plans for a broad range of allergy and respiratory conditions.

Conditons we regularly see in the Respiratory clinic include;

Asthma,
Allergic Rhinitis,
Chronic Cough,
Recurrent Chest Infections,
Sleep Disordered Breathing,

Your child’s consultant will obtain a detailed respiratory history, and where appropriate arrange diagnostic investigations, provide support and education, provide treatment if required and ensure appropriate follow-up with you and your child.

The below are some examples of what may be arranged;

Skin Prick Testing
Pulmonary Function Tests
Inhaler Technique Training
Nasal Spray Technique
Sublingual Immunotherapy

Referral to the service can be arranged by your GP.

Contact Us

Phone

01 650 4665

Our Respiratory Services

Allergic Rhinitis
- Allergic Rhinitis can also be known as hay fever, this is an inflammatory condition which is caused when the immune system has reactions to allergens. It presents with the following symptoms; runny nasal discharge, scratchy nose, blockage of the nose, sneezing, and related eye issues.
- If your child’s symptoms are severe, persistent, affecting their daily living or not responding to over the counter treatments, they may be referred to a consultant.
- Your consultant will take a detailed history, and they may ask if you or your child have noticed any triggers for the symptoms.
- Your consultant may ask questions about your child environment, for example; pets, dust, any smoking in the house.
- Most children who have Allergic Rhinitis have “Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis” where symptoms occur in early spring and subside in late summer, but some people have symptoms year-round.
- Your consultant will help create a management plan for this condition and arrange any relevant investigations.
Nasal Sprays
- Nasal sprays may be prescribed for children with nasal congestions or allergic rhinitis.
- If your child is prescribed a nasal spray, it is important for you and your child to know how to administer this correctly.
- Using the nasal spray correctly ensures the medication is absorbed into the lining of the nose, which will help control your child’s symptoms.
- Your consultant or nurse will show you how to administer the nasal spray correctly in clinic.
Sublingual Immunotherapy
- Some children whose symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis are not controlled by first line treatment may be suitable for Sublingual Immunotherapy.
- This is available for children from five years old who meet the criteria.
- Sublingual Immunotherapy exposes the body to small amounts of the allergen that trigger an allergic response, which will gradually “turn off” the immune system allowing your child to tolerate the allergen over time.
- The goal of treatment is to reduce the symptoms your child is experiencing. It is available for grass and tree pollen and house dust mite allergy.
- The treatment for grass pollen starts before the pollen season around February or March, Tree Pollen is commenced in November and House dust mite treatment is continuous and can start any time of year with the treatment usually lasting 3 years.
- If your consultant feels you are suitable for this treatment, your consultant will explain this to you and your child, and an information leaflet will be given to you by the clinic with further information.
Pulmonary Function Tests
- Your consultant may complete a referral for a Pulmonary Function Test, you will be asked to attend the hospital on a separate day for this Investigation.
- This Investigation consists of a combination of non-invasive tests. These tests are carried out by a Physiologist.
- Respiratory Physiologists look at how the lungs work. They will make the experience as fun as possible to ensure this is a positive experience for your Child.
- Please check with your Physiologist for directions on medication/inhalers for the day of your test.
- They are often completed to establish baseline lung function, assess inhaler therapy and assess respiratory symptoms
Skin Prick Testing
- You will meet your consultant who will complete an allergy focused clinical history. If your consultant feels like your Child requires Skin Prick Testing, this may be completed on the same day of your appointment, or you may be asked to return on a different day.
- Skin Prick Testing is a quick procedure, and it is used in conjunction with the allergy focused history to make a diagnosis of an allergy.
- The test will be carried out by a trained professional.
- The healthcare profession will draw on your child’s arm like in the picture, drops of the allergen will be placed on your child’s arm and a lancet will be used to gentle break the skin to allow the allergen to enter the skin.
- You and your Child will be asked to have a seat in the waiting area; your Child should not itch their arm as this can interfere with the test.
- After fifteen minutes your Child’s arm will be reviewed to see if any hives have appeared. The test results will be documented and shown to your consultant.
- Your consultant will discuss the test results with you and what they mean for your Child.
Asthma
- You might come and see a consultant if you or your GP feels your child may have signs of Asthma.
- Asthma is a common condition that effects Children in Ireland.
- Asthma is a condition that can affect your child’s lungs. Sometimes the air passages in the lungs become inflamed which can make it hard for your child to breathe, or they develop some symptoms like a cough.
- You may find that certain things may make your child’s breathing worse, for example; running, playing sports or cold weather.
- Once you see your consultant, they will listen to your concerns; they will listen to your Child’s lungs and make an assessment and diagnosis.
- Your consultant will discuss if there are any triggers for your Child’s asthma during your consultation, this could include a dust mite, pollen or animal dander allergy,
- Your consultant may refer your Child for a skin prick test to identify if there is a trigger. Please see the section of “Skin Prick Test” for further information on what this test includes.
- Your Child will be given a treatment plan to follow.
Inhaler Technique
- Your child’s Consultant will assess if your child requires an Inhaler, if an Inhaler is prescribed, they will pick the most suitable one, or they may use a combination of Inhalers.
- Using an Inhaler correctly is important to ensure the medication reaches your child’s lungs, which will help control their symptoms.
- For many children, some inhalers are used with a spacer device. A spacer device will help the medication reach your child’s lungs more effectively and will make inhalers easier to use, especially for younger children.
- A spacer device comes with a facemask for younger children and a mouthpiece for older children. Your consultant or nurse will assess which spacer device is most suitable for your child and advise you which one to obtain from the pharmacy.
- The Consultant or nurse can show you and your child how to use the prescribed Inhaler correctly.
- If you have any concerns or questions about your child’s inhaler technique, you can also ask your GP, pharmacist, nurse, or consultant to review it with you and your child.
- Regular reviews will help ensure your child is receiving the most benefit from their prescribed inhalers.
Chronic Cough
- Your child may be referred to a consultant if you or your GP have concerns about an ongoing chronic cough.
- A cough is generally considered chronic if it lasts for longer than four weeks.
- During your consultation, the consultant will discuss your child’s symptoms with you and take a detailed history of the presenting complaints. This helps to understand the potential cause of the cough and whether additional investigations may be needed.
- You may be asked questions about when you first noticed the cough and whether it has changed over time.
- The consultant may ask if the cough occurs mostly during the day or if it also is present at night. They may also ask whether the cough is a dry non-productive cough or a wet mucous producing cough.
- Your consultant may ask if you have noticed any triggers for the cough, for example; during exercise, after viral infections, or when your child is lying down.
- Your consultant may ask if your child has experienced any associated symptoms, for example; wheezing, breathlessness, chest discomfort, nasal congestion, or reflux symptoms.
- Additional investigations that your child may be referred for include; breathing tests, allergy testing, or a chest X-ray. This will depend on your child’s symptoms, and your consultant will decide what investigations if any are required for your child.
Recurrent Chest Infections
- If your child has recurring chest infections, they may be referred from your GP to see a consultant.
- This usually occurs when a child has presented with multiple chest infections over time or has experienced infections which take longer than expected to recover from.
- During the consultation, your child’s consultant will ask specific questions to help them gain a better understanding of your child’s presenting symptoms and history.
- You might be asked about how many chest infections your child has experienced, how frequently they arise, and what treatment options have been tried in the past.
- The consultant may enquire about your child’s symptoms throughout the illness, for example; cough, wheezing, fever, breathing changes or high levels of mucous production.
- After assessing your child, your consultant will determine if any further investigations are required; these may include; a chest x-ray or pulmonary function tests.
Sleep Disordered Breathing
- Your child may be referred to a consultant if there are concerns about sleep disordered breathing. This phrase refers to a collection of conditions where breathing is disrupted during sleep.
- During the consultation, your child’s consultant will obtain a thorough history which will help them to understand your child’s sleep and breathing patterns.
- The consultant may ask questions about symptoms like snoring, noisy breathing, rapid breathing, and pauses in the breath at nighttime or mouth breathing.
- The consultant may ask if you or your child find they are tired or lack concentration the following day.
- Your consultant may refer your child for a sleep study if they feel this is appropriate.
- The aim of the consultation is to find the cause of the breathing difficulty that is experienced during sleep and assess if any treatment is required.