Pulmonology
Pulmonology deals with all conditions of the respiratory system. The pulmonology service within the Internal Medicine Department at Nardini Klinikum St. Johannis in Landstuhl is officially recognized by the state of Rheinland-Pfalz.
From an anatomic point of view, pulmonology distinguishes between the upper respiratory tract, comprising nose and throat, and the lower respiratory tract, comprising larynx, trachea, lungs, and bronchial tree. These are the airways through which the air passes when we breathe. Every day we inhale and exhale roughly 20,000 times. Respiration is responsible for gas exchange, i.e. the supply of fresh air (oxygen) to our organs and the disposal of harmful gases (carbon dioxide).
The lungs are one of our most powerful organs. In the course of a single day they transport between 10,000 and 15,000 liters of air—the same amount needed to fill a hot-air balloon. The number of patients suffering from respiratory diseases has markedly increased in recent years. The World Health Organization expects a further increase of 25% by 2020. At the same time, pulmonology has seen significant changes in the past 15 to 20 years. While tuberculosis, a major focus in the past, has become less important, other conditions such as asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) have dramatically increased in relevance. Pulmonologists are now “respiration specialists”.
The pulmonology treatment spectrum at Nardini Klinikum covers prevention, diagnosis, and conservative treatment of diseases of the lungs, bronchi, mediastinum, and pleura. In order to diagnose these disorders we conduct a variety of examinations, such as pulmonary function test, blood gas analysis, and bronchoscopy. Our sleep laboratory allows us to examine respiration during sleep at night. Snoring and the breathing problems and missed breaths associated with it (also known as sleep apnea syndrome) often result in marked tiredness during the day and hypertension and can cause or worsen cardiovascular diseases. See Nardini Klinikum > Schwerpunkte und Zentren for more information about our sleep laboratory.
