Chest Physician is a branch of internal medicine which deals with the diseases of the respiratory tract. Also known as pneumology or respirology, it manages the patients who need life support and mechanical ventilation. Pulmonologist are the physician who have expertise in diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary diseases and condition, including the chest disease such as tuberculosis, asthma, pneumonia, emphysema and other complicated chest infections.

Diseases and disorders
Chest Physician / Pulmonologists are trained in treating -

Acid-base disorders – hyperventilation syndrome

Altitude edema and lung diseases – high-altitude pulmonary edema, neurogenic edema

Congenital disorders – cyanosis, kartagener syndrome, pulmonic stenosis

Aspiration and atelectasis – aspiration pneumonia, atelectasis, foreign body aspiration

Diaphragmatic disorders – diaphragm disorders, diaphragmatic paralysis

Iatrogenic pulmonary disorders – drug-induced pulmonary toxicity

Eosinophilic lung diseases – pulmonary eosinophilia

Idiopathic lung disorders – churg-strauss disease, coccidioidomycosis, community-acquired pneumonia, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, human metapneumovirus, legionnaires disease, lymphomatoid granulomatosis, military tuberculosis, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, Milroy disease, nosocomical pneumonia, nursing home acquired pneumonia, pott disease, pseudotuberculosis, psittacosis, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), tuberculosis, and tularaemia

Infectious lung diseases – aspergillosis, bacterial pneumonia, blastomycosis, chlamydial pneumonias, fungal pneumonia, histoplasmosis, lung abscess, upper respiratory tract infection, ventilator-associated pneumonia, viral pneumonia

Mechanical ventilation – non-invasive ventilation procedures

Lung tumors – bronchial adenoma, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, solitary pulmonary nodule

Obstructive airways diseases – alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency, asthma, barotrauma and mechanical ventilation, bronchiectasis, bronchiolitis, bronchitis, bronchitis empiric therapy, bronchitis organism-specific therapy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, genetics of asthma, mechanical ventilation, sinonasal manifestations of cystic fibrosis, status asthmaticus, ventilator graphics

Pleural disorders - parapneumonic pleural effusions and empyema thoracis, pleural effusion, pleurodynia, pneumothorax

Occupational lung diseases – allergic and environmental asthma, asbestosis, berylliosis, chemical, worker's lung, coal worker's pneumoconiosis, farmer's lung, silicosis, silo filler's disease, tobacco worker's lung

Pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary functions – peak flow rate measurement, pulmonary function testing, use of metered dose inhalers, spacers and bebulizers

Sleep-related disorders – central sleep apnea, hypoventilation syndromes, obstructive sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea and home sleep monitoring, polysomnography, sleep-disordered breathing and CPAP, surgical approach to snoring and sleep apnea

Pulmonary hypertension – primary pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary venoocclusive disease, secondary pulmonary hypertension tests, treatment, drugs and diagnose

Tests, treatment, drugs and diagnose

Chest Physician/ Pulmonologist start the diagnosis process by – 
• Blood test and in some cases arterial blood gas measurement is also done
• Spirometry to determine lung volumes in time by breathing into a dedicated machine
• Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), epithelial brushing and endobronchial and transbronchila biopsy
• Chest X-rays
• CT scan
• MRI scan in some cases
• Scintigraphy
• Positron emission tomography
• Polysomnography

When to call Chest Physician / pulmonologists?
Pulmonologists/Chest Physician diagnose and treat the disorders and diseases of lungs and respiratory system.