In medicine, pulmonology (aka pneumology) is the specialty that deals with diseases of the lungs and the respiratory tract. It is called chest medicine and respiratory medicine in some countries and areas. Pulmonology is generally considered a branch of internal medicine, although it is closely related to intensive care medicine when dealing with patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Surgery of the respiratory tract is generally performed by specialists in cardiothoracic surgery (or thoracic surgery). Chest medicine is not a specialty in itself but is an inclusive term which pertains to the treatment of diseases of the chest and contains the fields of pulmonology, thoracic surgery, and intensive care medicine. Pulmonology is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases, as well as secondary prevention (tuberculosis). Physicians specializing in this area are called pulmonologists. medicines, see medication and pharmacology. ... The term disease refers to an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs function. ... Human respiratory system The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ... In humans the respiratory tract is the part of the anatomy that has to do with the process of respiration or breathing. ... Doctors of internal medicine (internists) are medical specialists who focus on adult medicine and have had special study and training focusing on the prevention and treatment of adult diseases. ... “Intensive Care” redirects here. ... mechanical or forced ventilation is the use of powered equipment, e. ... “Surgeon” redirects here. ... In medicine, the field of (cardio)thoracic surgery or cardiovascular surgery is involved in the surgical treatment of diseases affecting organs inside the thorax, i. ... In medicine, the field of (cardio)thoracic surgery is involved in the surgical treatment of diseases affecting the heart (cardiovascular disease) and lungs (lung disease). ... “Intensive Care” redirects here. ... Human respiratory system The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ... Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus) is a common and deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacteria, mainly Mycobacterium tuberculosis. ...

Diagnosis

In medicine, 50% of all diagnoses can be made by a thorough medical history, and lung diseases are no different. The pulmonologist will conduct a general review and focus on: medicines, see medication and pharmacology. ...

• hereditary diseases affecting the lungs (cystic fibrosis, alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency)
• exposure to toxins (tobacco smoke, asbestos, exhaust fumes, coal mining fumes)
• exposure to infectious agents (certain types of birds, malt processing)
• an autoimmune diathesis that might predispose to certain conditions (pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension)

Physical diagnostics are as important as in the other fields of medicine. Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (A1AD or Alpha-1) is a genetic disorder caused by defective production of alpha 1-antitrypsin, deficient activity in the blood and lungs, and deposition of excessive amounts of abnormal A1AT protein in liver cells. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The cigarette is the most common method of smoking tobacco. ... Fibrous asbestos on muscovite Asbestos Asbestos Blue asbestos (crocidolite) from Wittenoom, Western Australia. ... Surface coal mining in Wyoming. ... This false-colored electron micrograph shows a malaria sporozoite migrating through the midgut epithelia. ... “Aves” redirects here. ... Autoimmunity is the failure of an organism to recognize its own constituent parts (down to the sub-molecular levels) as self, which results in an immune response against its own cells and tissues. ... Diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD), also known as interstitial lung disease, refers to a group of lung diseases, affecting the alveolar epithelium, pulmonary capillary endothelium, basement membrane, perivascular and perilymphatic tissues. ... In medicine, pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an increase in blood pressure in the pulmonary artery or lung vasculature, leading to shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, and other symptoms, all of which are exacerbated by exertion. ... medicines, see medication and pharmacology. ...

• Inspection of the hands for signs of cyanosis or clubbing, chest wall, and respiratory rate.
• Palpation of the cervical lymph nodes, trachea and chest wall movement.
• Percussion of the lung fields for dullness or hyperresonance.
• Auscultation (with a stethoscope) of the lung fields for diminished or unusual breath sounds.

As many heart diseases can give pulmonary signs, a thorough cardiac investigation is usually included. Cyanosis refers to the bluish coloration of the skin due to the presence of deoxygenated hemoglobin in blood vessels near the skin surface. ... Clubbing is also used to refer to the activity of gathering socially at nightclubs. ... Cervical lymph nodes are lymph nodes found in the neck. ... The trachea, or windpipe, is a tube that has an inner diameter of about 12mm and a length of about 10-16cm. ... Auscultation is the technical term for listening to the internal sounds of the body, usually using a stethoscope. ... Stethoscope The stethoscope (Greek στηθοσκόπιο, of στήθος, stéthos - chest and σκοπή, skopé - examination) is an acoustic medical device for auscultation, or listening, to internal sounds in a human or animal body. ... Breath sounds refer to the specific sounds identified through auscultation of the respiratory system with a stethescope. ... A diagram of a heart with an ECG indicator; diagrams like this are used in Cardiology. ...

Other tools include:

• Laboratory investigation of blood (blood tests). Sometimes arterial blood gas measurements are also required.
• Spirometry (the determination of lung volumes in time by breathing into a dedicated machine; response to bronchodilatators and diffusion of carbon monoxide)
• Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), biopsy and epithelial brushing
• Chest X-rays
• CT scanning (MRI scanning is rarely used)
• Scintigraphy and other methods of nuclear medicine
• Positron emission tomography (especially in lung cancer)

For other uses of lab, see Lab. ... Human blood smear: a - erythrocytes; b - neutrophil; c - eosinophil; d - lymphocyte. ... Blood tests are laboratory tests done on blood to gain an appreciation of disease states and the function of organs. ... Arterial blood gas measurement is a blood test that is performed to determine the concentration of oxygen, carbon dioxide and bicarbonate, as well as the pH, in the blood. ... Spirometry (meaning the measuring of breath) is the most common of the Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs), measuring lung function, specifically the measurement of the amount (volume) and/or speed (flow) of air that can be inhaled and exhaled. ... Lung Volumes The average pair of human lungs can hold about 6 liters of air, but only a small amount of this capacity is used during normal breathing. ... A bronchodilator is a medication intended to improve bronchial airflow. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Carbon monoxide, with the chemical formula CO, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. ... This drawing shows a bronchoscope inserted through the mouth, trachea, and bronchus into the lung; lymph nodes along trachea and bronchi; and cancer in one lung. ... Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a medical procedure in which a bronchoscope is passed through the mouth or nose into the lungs and fluid is squirted into a small part of the lung and then recollected for examination. ... Brain biopsy A biopsy (in Greek: bios = life and opsy = look/appearance) is a medical test involving the removal of cells or tissues for examination. ... Types of epithelium This article discusses the epithelium as it relates to animal anatomy. ... In the NATO phonetic alphabet, X-ray represents the letter X. An X-ray picture (radiograph) taken by Röntgen An X-ray is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength approximately in the range of 5 pm to 10 nanometers (corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 PHz... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Magnetic Resonance Image showing a median sagittal cross section through a human head. ... Nuclear medicine is the branch of medicine that uses unsealed radioactive substances in diagnosis and therapy. ... Shown above is the bone scintigraphy of a young woman. ... Image of a typical positron emission tomography (PET) facility Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine medical imaging technique which produces a three-dimensional image or map of functional processes in the body. ... Lung cancer is the malignant transformation and expansion of lung tissue, and is the most lethal of all cancers worldwide, responsible for 1. ...

Treatment

Surgical treatment in generally performed by the (cardio)thoracic surgeon, generally after primary evaluation by a pulmonologist. “Surgeon” redirects here. ... In medicine, the field of (cardio)thoracic surgery or cardiovascular surgery is involved in the surgical treatment of diseases affecting organs inside the thorax, i. ... In medicine, the field of (cardio)thoracic surgery is involved in the surgical treatment of diseases affecting the heart (cardiovascular disease) and lungs (lung disease). ...

Medication is the most important treatment of most diseases of pulmonology, either by inhalation (bronchodilators and steroids) or in oral form (antibiotics, leukotriene antagonists). It has been suggested that Blockbuster drug be merged into this article or section. ... A bronchodilator is a medication intended to improve bronchial airflow. ... Steroid skeleton of lanosterol. ... Staphylococcus aureus - Antibiotics test plate. ... A leukotriene antagonist is a hormone antagonist acting upon leukotrienes. ...

Oxygen therapy is often necessary in severe respiratory disease (emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis). When this is insufficient, the patient might require mechanical ventilation. Oxygen first aid kit showing a demand valve and a constant flow mask Oxygen therapy is the administration of oxygen as a therapeutic modality. ... Diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD), also known as interstitial lung disease, refers to a group of lung diseases, affecting the alveolar epithelium, pulmonary capillary endothelium, basement membrane, perivascular and perilymphatic tissues. ... mechanical or forced ventilation is the use of powered equipment, e. ...

Training

In the United States, pulmonologists are physicians who, after receiving a medical degree MD or DO, complete residency training in internal medicine (3 years), followed by at least 2 additional years of subspeciality fellowship training in pulmonology. Doctor of Medicine (M.D. or MD, from the Latin Medicinae Doctor meaning Teacher of Medicine,) is an academic degree for medical doctors. ... Look up do in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In the United States, pediatric pulmonologists are physicians who, after receiving a medical degree MD or DO, complete residency training in pediatrics (3 years), followed by at least 3 additional years of subspeciality fellowship training in pulmonology. Doctor of Medicine (M.D. or MD, from the Latin Medicinae Doctor meaning Teacher of Medicine,) is an academic degree for medical doctors. ... Look up do in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Diseases managed by the pulmonologist

• Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
• Asthma
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: -
  • Chronic bronchitis
  • Emphysema
• Cystic fibrosis (in adults; pediatricians may be involved in the care of children with the disease)
• Lung cancer diagnosis
• Pneumoconiosis
• Pneumonia
• Pneumothorax
• Psittacosis
• Pulmonary embolism
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Pulmonary sequestration
• Sarcoidosis
• Sleep apnea

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a hypersensitivity response to the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, the spores of which are ubiquitous in soil and are commonly found in the sputum of healthy individuals. ... Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for a group of respiratory tract diseases that are characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. ... Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchi of the lungs, that causes the cilia of the bronchial epithelial cells to stop functioning. ... Clinical Examination Pediatrics (also spelled paediatrics) is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents (from newborn to age 16-21, depending on the country). ... Lung cancer is the malignant transformation and expansion of lung tissue, and is the most lethal of all cancers worldwide, responsible for 1. ... Pneumoconiosis, also known as coal workers pneumoconiosis, miners asthma, or black lung disease, is a lung condition caused by the inhalation of dust, characterized by formation of nodular fibrotic changes in lungs. ... Pneumonia is an illness of the lungs and respiratory system in which the alveoli (microscopic air-filled sacs of the lung responsible for absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere) become inflamed and flooded with fluid. ... Left-sided pneumothorax (on the right side of the image) on CT scan of the chest with chest tube in place. ... In medicine (pulmonology), psittacosis -- also known as parrot disease, parrot fever, and ornithosis -- is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Mycoplasma psittaci and contracted from parrots, macaws, cockatiels, and parakeets. ... Diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD), also known as interstitial lung disease, refers to a group of lung diseases, affecting the alveolar epithelium, pulmonary capillary endothelium, basement membrane, perivascular and perilymphatic tissues. ... In medicine, pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an increase in blood pressure in the pulmonary artery or lung vasculature, leading to shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, and other symptoms, all of which are exacerbated by exertion. ... A pulmonary sequestration, also known as a bronchopulmonary sequestration or a cystic lung lesion, is a medical condition where a piece of tissue that develops into lung tissue is not attached to the pulmonary blood supply and does not communicate with the other lung tissue. ... Sleep apnea or sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. ...

Scientific research

Pulmonologists are involved in both clinical and basic research of the respiratory system, ranging from the anatomy of the bronchial epithelium to the most effective treatment of pulmonary hypertension (a disease notoriously resistant to therapy). The Respiratory System Among four-legged animals, the respiratory system generally includes tubes, such as the bronchi, used to carry air to the lungs, where gas exchange takes place. ... In medicine, pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an increase in blood pressure in the pulmonary artery or lung vasculature, leading to shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, and other symptoms, all of which are exacerbated by exertion. ...

External links