genetic testing?

My 5 year old has had a cough for three mos. Her ped. ordered a sweat test which came back 47. While the nurses were doing the test in our small town hospital they told me they hadn't done one in 2 yrs. They were reading the directions, not wearing gloves and I don't think there was enough sweat in the dial. We were sent to a bigger facility where they do these tests every day. Three times they have tried to get her to sweat and couldn't. I talked to her ped. about genetic testing and she decided she didn't think she needed to go "that far." She said we would just keep watching her.
  I have asthma, as do my husband and son. Should she be tested for that before we start looking into other things? Her only symptoms are a cough that goes away while on Zyrtec and 1 sinus infection this winter that she had to be on anti-biotics for 1 mon
th. She never has loose stools and is steadily gaining weight.
She has an appt. with a pulmonologist/allergist in Feb. Are we moving in the right direction? Thank-you!!!

[National Jewish]

I am sure that your visit to the pulmonologist will clarify what is happening with your child.  This doctor may repeat the sweat test, may perform pulmonary function tests etc to evaluate for asthma and clarify the sweat test results.  In addition, a sinus x-ray or CT may be requested.  One of the most common reasons for the chronic cough in 5-year-old is a chronic inflammation of the sinuses.  Although I am sure you would like to get answers today, you are on the right track to get them soon.

[ternt]

my son is 2 and he had that done ane the frist one said he was boarderline so then he did it again and they did not get enough sweat so they want to do it again and i said no so i asked my doc to do the genitic testing and she did and she did it right in her office so if i was you i would ask her to do it it takes 2 min that is it