THE POSSIBILITIES OF INSTRUMENTAL TESTING IN PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY

Abstract

Instrumental tests are widely used in adult pulmonology, however, testing of children is often limited by the patients’ young age, anatomical and physiological peculiarities of the respiratory system and by the inability to cooperate during the testing. Therefore, the majority of instrumental diagnostic equipment developed for adults cannot be fully utilized for children and should be adapted. The most commonly used non-invasive methods of instrumental
diagnostics in pediatric pulmonology - pulmonary function tests and bronchoscopy. It is usually attempted to change to safer methods for performing invasive tests (biopsy, thoracoscopic procedures) on young children due to the sophisticated techniques required, the possibility of complications and the ethical aspects. This paper provides an overview for instrumental tests, indications of their performance, contraindications and the options of actionand the limitations of infants and young children.