Pulmonary medicine is the specialty of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and management of disorders of the respiratory system, including the lungs, upper airways, thoracic cavity, covering of lungs i.e., Pleura and chest wall. Apart from this they also deal with Lung infections/Pneumonia, pleural infections / Fluid around lungs, Rupture of Lung or Pneumothorax, pulmonary vascular disease including Pulmonary embolism / clots in lung vessels, and its effect on the cardiovascular system, and detection and prevention of occupational and environmental causes of lung disease.
Common Pulmonary diseases are Asthma, Chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), emphysema, Interstitial Lung Diseases/ ILD and occupational lung diseases, complex lung and pleural infections including Tuberculosis. Viral diseases like Swine flu, SARS,MARS, COVID/Corona infections also affect lungs and primarily managed by Pulmonologist. Pulmonologists also deal with sleep related breathing disorders (such as sleep apnea / OSA ), Obesity related breathing issues, Polio or other neurological conditions leading to breathing trouble.
Pulmonologists can be called for any breathing issues as they have expertise in respiratory failure and complex interventions such as mechanical ventilation. Therefore, they are first liners in ICU care.
Along with Medicinal management Pulmonologists also perform various life saving procedures. The department also offers Pulmonary function testing (PFT) to assess functional capacity of lungs. Bronchoscopy, Thoracoscopy, EBUS-FNA, Pleural aspiration, Intubation, Tracheostomy, airway-foreign body removal, Lung Biopsy, Lung lavage, Pleural Biopsy, Pig-Tail catheter insertion/ Inter costal tube drain (ICD) are commonly performed procedures.
Preventive Pulmonology, not only management of diseases but also protecting lung health is a major concern in present world. Increasing environmental pollution, Indoor Pollution, occupational pollution, emerging serious viral lung infections like Corona, Rising Lung cancer, COPD all has led to protecting lungs.