Pulmonology is the medical specialty dealing with diseases involving the respiratory tract. Pulmonology is considered as a branch of internal medicine, and is related to intensive care medicine. Pulmonology often involves managing patients who need life support and mechanical ventilation.
Pulmonologists are specially trained in diseases and conditions of the chest, particularly pneumonia, asthma, tuberculosis, emphysema, and complicated chest infections.
Pulmonologists’ Procedures:
- Laboratory investigation of blood, such as arterial blood gas measurements
- 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), endobronchial and transbronchial biopsy and epithelial brushing
- Chest X-rays
- CT scanning or MRI scanning
- Scintigraphy and other methods of nuclear medicine
- Positron emission tomography (especially in lung cancer)
- Polysomnography (sleep studies) commonly used for the diagnosis of Sleep apnea
