Spirometry

• Spirometry is a lung function test used for children age 5 and older. This test measures the amount of air moving in and out of the lungs. It also measures how fast the child can move air in and out. Spirometry can tell the physician if the air flowing into the child's lungs is reduced because of inflammation of the bronchial tubes and once medication is given, if the bronchial tubes can return to their normal size within a few minutes. This test should be given every one to two years after the child's treatment has begun.
  
  

Bronchoscopy

• A bronchoscope is a small, flexible tube with a light and camera on the end. It is passed through the mouth or nose and the image is seen on a small screen. A bronchoscopy examines the airways in the lungs. It is usually an outpatient procedure done under sedation. A bronchoscopy can be used to take a lung biopsy, or check for obstructions of the airway if the child does not respond to asthma treatments.
  
  

Plethysmography

• Children who have chronic persistent asthma may have this test done to measure their lung capacity. An increase in lung capacity is referred to as over-inflation. Plethysmography detects how much air the lungs can hold and if the lungs of a child are over-inflated.
  
  

Allergy Tests

• Children with asthma often have allergies. Allergy skin tests are done by using a needle with a dose of allergen on it to prick the skin on the arms, or the back. The physician checks for a reaction based on the amount of redness and swelling at the site. Blood tests can be done to test for immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies that are produced as a response to certain allergens.
  
  

Bronchial Provocation

• Bronchial provocation tests for normal or high reactivity of the airways in the lungs. A child with asthma may test normal on all the usual tests because their airways constrict only during the attack itself, and they have normal lung function the rest of the time. During this test, the physician has the child inhale doses of methacholine or histamine which are bronchoconstrictors. Children with asthma will test as having highly reactive airways.