To treat chronic or short-term respiratory problems, it's often necessary to measure how well the patient's lungs are working with pulmonary function tests. These tests can be critical for making medical decisions, such as whether or not to proceed with a treatment or change medication. To best manage chronic lung disorders such as asthma or cystic fibrosis, periodic lung function tests are often needed.

The UCSF Pulmonary Function Laboratory is state of the art, allowing us to make airway function, lung volume and other critical measurements in almost anyone weighing more than 10 pounds. While having good equipment is important, having skilled, experienced laboratory technicians who know how to coach children through the tests is essential. Ours do an expert job with even the very young.

All patients must be evaluated by a pulmonologist in the Pediatric Pulmonary Clinic before receiving a pulmonary function test. The pulmonologist will provide you with a referral to the Pulmonary Function Lab.