Respiratory/Sleep Unit

About Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at John Hunter Children's Hospital

The Department of Paediatric Respiratory and Sleep Medicine provides a complete consultative, investigative and therapeutic service for infants, children and adolescents with a wide range of respiratory and sleep disorders.

Patient referrals are accepted from the Greater Newcastle, Hunter, New England, Central Coast and Northern NSW regions.

Inpatient services are exclusively undertaken at the John Hunter Children's Hospital. Patients are admitted mostly into Wards H1 (Children's Medical Ward) and J2 (Adolescent Ward). Consultation services are also provided to patients in the Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care Units.

Specialist outpatient clinics are provided at the John Hunter Children's Hospital, Maitland Hospital with annual clinics held at Armidale and Tamworth Hospitals. These include both medical specialist clinics and clinical nurse consultant lead clinics (specifically asthma education).

Outpatient referrals are accepted from both general practitioners as well as other medical specialists (eg: general and sub specialist paediatricians, paediatric surgeons).

Staff

Senior medical specialists:

Dr Jodi Hilton
Dr Tanya Gulliver
Associate Professor Joerg Mattes
Dr Bruce Whitehead

Clinical nurse consultants:

Ms Linda Cheese
Ms Bernadette Goddard

Administrative assistants:

Ms Kristy Power (Respiratory Unit)
Ms Lynne Taylor (Sleep Unit)
Ms Janet Foote (Respiratory & Sleep Units)

In addition there are rotating junior medical staff (a registrar and senior resident medical officer) and specialist allied health professionals including dietitians, physiotherapists and social workers who support the service.

Paediatric Respiratory

The specialist respiratory service is provided by a multidisciplinary team comprising of medical, nursing and allied health professionals. The service is supported by pathology, imaging (including interventional radiology) and related disciplines. The range of conditions managed by the service is broad and includes:

Asthma (including asthma education)
Chronic lung disease of infancy
Congenital pulmonary and airway lesions
Complex respiratory infections
Bronchiectasis
Interstitial and restrictive lung diseases
Cleft palate
Respiratory complications of neuromuscular disorders

Sleep unit and Oxygen and Ventilatory Support service

The fully Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) accredited Paediatric Sleep Unit has been functioning for over 14 years and has undergone significant development with increased capacity. The unit provides a diagnostic and treatment service for patients with disorders in sleep including:

Obstructive sleep apnoea and other sleep disordered breathing
Behavioural sleep disturbance
Cleft palate
Narcolepsy and related conditions
Neurological conditions affecting sleep.

Sleep investigations include oximetry and polysomnography (PSG), provided within a four bedded sleep laboratory. Up to sixteen sleep studies can be performed per week as well as other specialised testing including multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT).

This service also provides a home oxygen and ventilatory (including CPAP and Non Invasive Ventilation) support service for patients with chronic lung, airway, and sleep disorders. Two dedicated Non-Invasive Ventilation clinics are held each year.

Cystic fibrosis

A weekly outpatient clinic is provided for patients with cystic fibrosis. The clinic is multidisciplinary and incorporates respiratory specialists, clinical nurse consultants, physiotherapists and dietitians. In addition a social/community worker and a home based airway clearance service, funded by Cystic Fibrosis New South Wales.

Infants identified by Newborn Screening with Cystic Fibrosis or as carriers of this condition are referred for sweat testing and further management including genetic counselling and extended family screening.

Close association exists with Hunter genetic services, with a genetic counsellor attending on a monthly basis. Counselling services are also available at other times (time of diagnosis). The clinic also has an established home physiotherapy service. The clinic also liaises with CF NSW Community Worker and Homecare to assist with airway clearance techniques at home.

Lung function laboratory

There is a dedicated paediatric respiratory function laboratory, which is managed by the respiratory service. Testing available within the laboratory includes:

Spirometry (with bronchodilator response testing)
Bronchial provocation testing (hypertonic saline challenge)
Static lung volumes (whole body plethysmography)
Altitude simulation testing
Allergy skin prick testing
Infant lung function testing (research only)

As well as internal referrals from John Hunter Children's Hospital, external referrals can be made directly to the laboratory by general practitioners and specialists.

Bronchoscopy

The unit provides a full flexible bronchoscopy service to the hospital and region. The JHCH facilitates this with a dedicated operating time (one session per fortnight) and flexible bronchoscopes with video imaging ranging in size from 2.7 mm to 4.9 mm. There is a full-time paediatric anaesthetic service available to facilitate both elective and emergency bronchoscopic procedures.

A close relationship exists with the Paediatric Ear, Nose and Throat Surgical Team and combined investigation with rigid bronchoscopes is facilitated.

How do you make an appointment?

All referrals must be written by a medical practitioner.

Referral criteria:

Age 0-16 years
General practitioner and specialist referrals accepted
Specific respiratory conditions such as asthma, airway abnormality, chronic cough, etc.
Sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnoea, etc.

Referrals for generalised allergic disorders and non respiratory specific general paediatric conditions, including behavioural disorders will not be accepted.

All external referrals for specialist respiratory and sleep appointments are to be in hard copy form with full patient details including contact mobile phone number, and faxed to:

Paediatric outpatient appointments fax: (02)49 223904

Paediatric outpatient appointment enquiries phone: (02)49 213750

External referrals to the Respiratory Function Laboratory can be made directly by fax: (02)49 213680 or phone: (02)49 213679.

For urgent referrals please contact the on duty respiratory specialist via hospital switchboard on (02)49 213000.

Contact details

Please direct all enquiries to the relevant unit:

Name: Paediatric Respiratory Unit
John Hunter Children's Hospital,
Kaleidoscope Greater Newcastle Sector.
Address: John Hunter Children's Hospital, Lookout Road, New Lambton Heights. NSW 2305
Postal: Locked Bag 1, Hunter Region Mail Centre. NSW 2310
Phone: (02) 492 13676
Fax: (02) 492 13599

Name: Paediatric Sleep Unit
John Hunter Children's Hospital,
Kaleidoscope Greater Newcastle Sector.
Address: John Hunter Children's Hospital, Lookout Road, New Lambton Heights. NSW 2305
Postal: Locked Bag 1, Hunter Region Mail Centre. NSW 2310
Phone: (02) 492 13935
Fax: (02) 498 55490

Name: Paediatric Respiratory Function Laboratory
John Hunter Children's Hospital,
Kaleidoscope Greater Newcastle Sector.
Address: John Hunter Children's Hospital, Lookout Road, New Lambton Heights. NSW 2305
Postal: Locked Bag 1, Hunter Region Mail Centre. NSW 2310
Phone: (02) 492 13679
Fax: (02) 492 13680