Pulmonary barotrauma
Damage to the lung from rapid or excessive pressure changes, as may occur when a patient is on a ventilator and is subjected to high airway pressure. Pulmonary barotrauma can also occur in scuba and other forms of diving.
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- Pulmonary edema, high altitude
Known as HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema), a condition in which there is accumulation in the lungs of extravascular fluid (fluid outside of blood vessels) at high altitude, a consequence of rapid altitude ascent, especially when that ascent is accompanied by significant exercise. HAPE leads to dyspnea (shortness of breath), cough, tachycardia (fast heart rate) […]
- Pulmonary embolism
Sudden closure of a pulmonary artery or one of its branches, caused by a blood-borne clot or foreign material that plugs the vessel.
- Pulmonary embolus
A blood clot or foreign material that has been carried through the blood into the pulmonary artery or one of its branches, plugging the vessel.
- Pulmonary fibrosis
Scarring throughout the lungs that can be caused by many conditions, such as sarcoidosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, asbestosis, and certain medications. Pulmonary fibrosis can also occur without an identifiable cause, in which case it is referred to as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, and diminished exercise tolerance. Treatment involves use of corticosteroids […]
- Pulmonary function test
A test that is designed to measure how well the lungs are working. Abbreviated PFT. PFTs gauge how the lungs are expanding and contracting (when a person inhales and exhales) and measure the efficiency of the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the blood and the air within the lungs.