Pulmonology

Hundreds of millions of people of all ages suffer from chronic respiratory diseases and they are increasing in prevalence. Communicable diseases will remain a predominant health problem that may have adverse effects on the quality of life and disability of those who are affected.¹  Many preventable chronic respiratory diseases may be preventable with behavioral changes and environmental modifications² , but others such as the COVID-19 pandemic have become a global health crisis that researchers and healthcare professionals are still learning about.³  Occupational therapy plays an important role in the education and rehabilitation of patients with chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD to alleviate symptoms, optimize function, and improve health-related quality of life.⁴ 

Common Chronic Respiratory Diseases² 

• Asthma
• Bronchiectasis
• Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease
  • COPD
  • Bronchitis
  • Emphysema
• Chronic Rhinosinusitis
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
• Lung cancer and neoplasms of respiratory and intrathoracic organs
• Lung fibrosis
• Chronic pleural diseases
• Pneumoconiosis
• Pulmonary eosinophilia
• Pulmonary heart disease and diseases of pulmonary circulation (Pulmonary embolism, Pulmonary hypertension, cor pulmonale)
• Rhinitis
• Sarcoidosis
• Sleep apnea

1. Strong K, Mathers C, Leeder S, Beaglehole R. Preventing chronic diseases: how many lives can we save? Lancet 2005;
   366: 1578–1582.[↩]
2. Bousquet, J., Dahl, R., & Khaltaev, N. (2007). Global alliance against chronic respiratory diseases. European Respiratory Journal, 29(2), 233-239.[↩][↩]
3. Vitacca, M., Carone, M., Clini, E. M., Paneroni, M., Lazzeri, M., Lanza, A., … & Ambrosino, N. (2020). Joint statement on the role of respiratory rehabilitation in the COVID-19 crisis: the Italian position paper. Respiration, 99(6), 493-499.[↩]
4. Griffiths TL, Burr ML, Campbell IA, et al: Results at 1 year of outpatient multidisciplinary pulmonary rehabilitation: A randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2000;355:362–368.[↩]