Respiratory and cystic fibrosis unit

The CHI at Temple Street is one of the six designated paediatric referral centers for CF in Ireland. Our paediatric CF unit aims to provide a comprehensive (holistic) approach to CF care and offers a team approach to all children and their families. This Unit provides care on an outpatient basis.

CF Clinics

CF Clinics are held every second Wednesday of the month from 8.30am – 1pm. Parents and children are escorted to individual rooms for the duration of their visit.

The majority of patients are seen in our outpatient department regularly, usually every three months. If your child’s care is shared with your local hospital your child will be seen here at least twice a year. Visits may be more frequent according to the specific needs of the child.

Extra clinic appointments

If your child is unwell and needs to be seen before their next clinic appointment they can be booked into the next CF clinic or be seen in the unit. If at any time you are concerned about the health of your child please contact the CF specialist nurse so they can arrange an appointment. The CF nurse can be contacted at (01) 878 4377 or through the hospital main switch at (01) 878 4200 and bleep 795 or 730. Office hours are 07:45-16:00 Monday to Friday.

This is carried out once a year. It involves:

• Lung function for children aged 5 years and above. This is a special blowing test that measures the capacity of the lungs and airways (how big the lungs are) and the flow of air through the lungs (how well they work). (Click here to link to Respiratory Lab)
• Chest X-ray. This checks the appearance of the lungs.
• Blood test. A local anaesthetic cream is used to numb the area before the blood test is done. The blood test helps us monitor your child’s health and look at things that might cause us to change your child’s treatment for example liver function, glucose and vitamin levels and any bacterial or fungal infection.
• Glucose Tolerance Test. This test is performed on all children aged 8 years and over. Your child must fast from 12 midnight the previous night. A sample of blood will be taken to measure your child’s sugar level. Following this your child will be asked to drink a specific amount of Lucozade original (the amount is calculated according to your child’s weight). No other food or drink is allowed during this test. Two hours following this, a further sample of blood is drawn to measure sugar levels. Your child will be offered a light snack on completion of the test.
• Liver Ultrasound. Children from the age of 5 years have a liver scan. This is a painless procedure taking approximately 15 minutes to perform. However, children need to fast from food and drink for 6 hours prior to the scan. Your appointment is sent from Radiology Department and will detail specifically fasting instructions.

We collect the results of this annual assessment over a number of weeks. A letter detailing your child’s blood results, lung function, and height and weight centiles will be sent to your GP and your shared-care consultant.

If you have any queries regarding results please do not hesitate to contact the CF nurse regarding same.