Pulmonary & Critical Care

Archive for the ‘Procedure Index’ Category

Thoracentesis is a procedure that is done to remove a sample of fluid from around the lung. The lung is covered with a tissue called the pleura. The inside of the chest is also lined with pleura. The space between these two areas is called the pleural space. This space normally contains just a thin [...]

Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. In obstructive sleep apnea, the airway collapses or is blocked during sleep. If your doctor thinks that you have sleep apnea, he or she may schedule a sleep study. People usually [...]

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) refers to the administration of ventilatory support without using an invasive artificial airway (endotracheal tube or tracheostomy tube). The use of noninvasive ventilation has markedly increased over the past two decades, and noninvasive ventilation has now become an integral tool in the management of both acute and chronic respiratory failure, in both [...]

A Tracheostomy tube is a small tube designed to be directly set into a patient’s windpipe via the neck. The surgical procedure of placing a Tracheostomy tube into a patient’s windpipe is named a tracheotomy.
When is a Tracheostomy required?
A Tracheostomy tube may be required for Intensive Care Unit patients needing long-term mechanical ventilation, patients incapable [...]

A chest tube thoracostomy is an emergency procedure. Chest tubes are inserted to drain blood, fluid, or air and to allow the lungs to fully expand. The tube is placed between the ribs and into the space between the inner lining and the outer lining of the lung (pleural space). In certain people, the [...]

Heart, lung, and metabolic conditions may cause shortness of breath, exercise intolerance or discomfort and pain in the chest.
The Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test is a stress test that assesses how well the heart, lungs, and muscles are working individually, and how these systems are working in unison.
The full cardiopulmonary system is assessed during a CPET by [...]

Pulmonary function testing is done to check the function of your lungs. These tests measure how much air and how easily air moves in and out of your lungs.
Purpose of Pulmonary Function Test:

Help your doctor diagnose lung disease.
Monitor how your lung disease may change over time.
Help find what treatment may help you.
Check your lungs if [...]

Right Heart (Swan-Ganz) Catheterization is the passing of a thin tube (catheter) into the right side of the heart to monitor the heart’s function and blood flow in persons who are very ill.
How to Prepare for the Test
You should not eat or drink anything for 8 hours before the test starts. You may need to [...]

Bronchoscopy is a test to view the airways and diagnose lung disease. It may also be used during the treatment of some lung conditions.
A bronchoscope is a device used to see the inside of the lungs. It can be flexible or rigid. Usually, a flexible bronchoscope is used. The flexible bronchoscope is a tube less [...]

A Central Line or Central Venous Catheter is a thin, soft plastic tube — like an intravenous (IV) line — that allows you to receive medicines and fluids, obtain blood tests and directly obtain cardiovascular measurements.
It is usually inserted into a large vein in your neck (internal jugular vein), chest (subclavian vein) or groin (femoral [...]