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Pulmonary Care, What It Is And How It Helps You Recover

February 28, 2020 / Judah /

 

Pulmonary care therapies are offered as both inpatient and outpatient services as well as in skilled nursing care facilities.

Inpatient care involves critically ill patients with multiorgan system disease and requires the ability to synthesize large amounts of data. The skilled medical staff also coordinates care with other disciplines.

 

Pulmonary Care: What Is Treated?

 

Pulmonologists treat a broad array of respiratory illnesses. Here are some of the conditions that they treat:

 

 

  • asthma
  • bronchiectasis, a condition that involves inflammation and excess mucus in the lungs
  • bronchitis, which happens when you have inflamed lower airways
  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which causes an airflow blockage
  • emphysema, which happens when the alveoli in your lungs are damaged
  • interstitial lung diseases, which affect the space and tissue within the lung
  • occupational lung diseases, which can occur due to the inhalation of dusts, chemicals, or proteins
  • obstructive sleep apnea, which causes your breathing to slow or stop entirely when you’re sleeping

 

Types Of Therapies Used

Pulmonologists use a variety of special therapies which can include the following modalities:
  • CT scan to get detailed images of the bones, muscles, fat organs, and blood vessels in your chest
  • chest fluoroscopy, an X-ray test to see how well your lungs are functioning
  • chest ultrasound to examine the organs and other chest structures
  • pleural biopsy to remove a small tissue sample from the pleura, which is the membrane that surrounds your lungs
  • pulmonary function test, a breathing test to see how well your lungs are working
  • pulse oximetry test to determine the oxygen saturation level in your blood
  • thoracentesis to remove and sample fluid from around your lungs
  • chest tube to remove air or fluid from around your lungs
  • bronchoscopy to examine your airway and determine if you have any issues in your trachea, lower airways, throat, or larynx
  • sleep study to help diagnose sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea

 

In the case of more serious lung diseases and conditions, a pulmonologist may refer the patient to a chest surgeon for specific procedures. These can include such procedures as a lobectomy to remove a portion of a diseased lung or a lung transplant.

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