Who is a pulmonologist and what does he heal? What does the pulmonologist do at the first appointment? For an appointment with a pulmonologist, what tests are needed?

If you want to know who the pulmonologist is and what he treats, then our article is for you!

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What is pulmonology, who is a pulmonologist: an explanation

Pulmonologist - This is a doctor who treats the respiratory system. The answer to the question what is pulmonology, encrypted in the very term that came from the Latin word «pulmones " - Light, and ancient Greek word «λόγος»What is in translation means “science” or “teaching”.

However, not all diseases from which the respiratory system suffer from the competence of the pulmonologist suffer. More precisely, a pulmonologist can diagnose problems, but sometimes he sends the patient to narrower specialists. So, what is pulmonology and what diseases and conditions a pulmonologist not engaged:

Tuberculosis. The pulmonologist can diagnose it, however, a narrow -profile doctor is engaged in treatment phthysician.
Surgical operations on the organs of the chest - the scope of competence thoracic surgeon.
States threatening - Undoubtedly, they require intervention resuscitator.
Upper respiratory tract diseases - More often heals eNT. Although pulmonologist It is also often engaged in them, since problems in the lower respiratory tract are sometimes related to problems with the upper respiratory tract.

Respiratory diseases are treated by pulmonologists and doctors of other specializations

What is healing a pulmonologist: a list of diseases and conditions

The sphere of the highly specialized activity of a pulmonologist is very extensive. Below we will explain who the pulmonologist is and what he treats by listing the main groups of diseases the incoming area of \u200b\u200bthe competence of this doctor.

BronchitisProbably the most common problem with which they come to a pulmonologist. This profile doctor can help to cope not only with ordinary acute bronchitis, which is the result of SARS, but also with prolonged chronic bronchitis, as well as its obstructive form. He will also conduct differential diagnosis to determine which disease is the cause of poor health.
Pneumonia, alveolitis and pleurisy. Pulmonologists are authorized to conduct a full diagnosis of these diseases and, in accordance with the results, prescribe the most effective treatment.
Hobble - The disease that smokers and people who are in rooms where there are many tobacco smoke suffer.
Silicosis, anthracosis and other diseases associated with professional activities and caused by inhalation of dust. Coal, asbestos, iron or other.
Bronchial asthmawhich, in fact, is an allergic disease, is also included in the competence of this doctor. There are individual specialists who aimed at just this problem. And for this, two specializations are combined at once a pulmonologist and an allergist.

In addition to an allergist pulmonologist, you can often find doctors who combine specializations of a pulmonologist and pediatrician or pulmonologist and therapist.

Pediatricians can also specialize in pulmonology

What does the pulmonologist do at the first appointment?

If you first are going to an appointment with a pulmonologist, what tests you need to not think. Often, a therapist who has any questions about the picture, after passing fluorography, is directed to an appointment with this specialist. In this case, you most likely will have a picture on your hands, and a general blood test.

It is not worth taking any additional examinations before the first consultation of a pulmonologist, since the spectrum of examinations that this doctor can appoint is very wide. And he appoints them after an attentive examination, based on his experience and professionalism.

Usually what the pulmonologist does at the first reception is:

Listening to the patient's complaints.
A survey about lifestyle, bad habits and working conditions.
Clarification whether there is a genetic predisposition to certain diseases.
Familiarization with fluorography data and, possibly, to another medical documentation.
It turns out that if the patient has any general or chronic diseases that may affect the respiratory system.
After that, an inspection is carried out.

What does the pulmonologist do at the first appointment after he interviews and examines the patient? The doctor can either immediately express his opinion on the patient's condition and give recommendations, or prescribe additional tests.

Research of the respiratory system — Examination of the respiratory system

For an appointment with a pulmonologist, what tests are needed?

Are you going to receive a pulmonologist, what tests do the doctor need to accurately make a diagnosis? The pulmonologist can direct to the following examinations:

Sight radiography of the chest organs.
Bronchoscopy.
Computed tomography of the chest organs.
Determining the concentration of nitrogen oxide in the air that the patient exhales.
Picfluometry - measurement of the maximum exhaust speed.
Hardware examination of external respiration functions.
Pulsometry is night and portable.

Let's dwell on how the listed examinations are carried out.

Why do you need bronchoscopy and how is it carried out?

Bronchoscopy is a serious study, which is carried out under general anesthesia using a bronchoscope, special flexible, less often hard, tube with a camera at the end. With the help of a bronchoscope, sputum for subsequent research can also be climbed or a biopsy is performed.

In case of suspicions of bronchitis or inflammation of the lungs, bronchoscopy is shown only when the backed, which should be at least three, do not give any results. If sputum expects a sputum with a cough, then its analysis can give the same results as bronchoscopy.

With asthma, bronchoscopy is also not always advisable. As a rule, it is carried out only in children in order to make sure that the child suffers precisely by asthma, and not some other pathology.

Direct indications for bronchoscopy are the presence of a small foreign body in the bronchi, which can be immediately removed during the procedure. As well as the presence of dissection - a limited focus, which can be a tumor or a focus of infection. In this case, bronchoscopy, combined with biopsy, makes it possible to make an accurate diagnosis. Bronchoscopy is also useful to identify fungal lung lesions, which are very rare, but still occur.

Video: Bronchoscopy, when is it needed?

Computer tomography of the chest organs

CT of the chest shows the picture much more accurately than fluorography. The method is also based on the use of x -rays, however, a tomograph is a high -tech device, with which you can get a lot of “cuts” or layered pictures at once, and simulate a picture of internal organs in volume.

In addition to assessing the condition of the light CT of the chest cavity, it allows you to visualize the heart, bone structures, esophagus, trachea, pleural cavity and lymph nodes. CT is most often prescribed for:

Chest injuries.
Infectious diseases.
The presence of dimming on fluorography, uncertain origin.
Suspicions of the presence of adhesions or liquids in the pleural cavity.

Pickflowometry, what is this research?

This study is very desirable to regularly undergo people suffering from bronchial asthma. Picflowometry is a measurement of the maximum exhalation speed, measurements are carried out using a special picfloometer device - a device that should be blowed into, with a special scale.

There are norms of maximum exhalation speed for people of different sexes and age. However, the speed of exhalation itself is usually important, but its change in constant observation. A decrease in the maximum exhalation speed can warn about the approach of an attack of bronchial asthma.

Determining the amount of nitrogen oxide

Also, the hardware research method, the result of which can be evaluated in a few minutes. An increase in the amount of nitrogen oxide indicates the presence of an inflammatory process. And it may indicate inflammation of the lungs, bronchitis, asthma and some other diseases.

What diagnoses are in pulmonology?

Thinking with what diagnoses they lie in pulmonology and what is this department? We will tell you! Patients with such diagnoses fall into pulmonology:

Severe forms of pneumonia.
Severe course of bronchial asthma.
Light abscesses.
Hobble.
Cystic fibrosis.
Pleurisy.

What the diagnoses are in pulmonology are determined by the disease itself and the degree of its severity. As a rule, patients with acute respiratory failure undergoes inpatient treatment.