Pulmonary or respiratory

Question

Hi,"My mom went to the pulmonary/respiratory department to pick up the results of her test.""She finally got the results of the pulmonary/respiratory test.""She talked to her pulmonologist/respirologist."Could you tell me the difference? Which one should I use?Thank you so much.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Ann225Could you tell me the difference? Which one should I use?

Use the word that the doctor or the medical department uses.

Pulmonary - the professional medical term

https://www.verywellhealth.com/pulmonary-defined-3157149

The word pulmonary means "pertaining to the lungs." It is derived from the Latin root word pulmo, which means lung. If someone has pulmonary disease, this means they have a lung disease, and that may affect their ability to breathe well.

If surgery is needed, pulmonary problems are typically addressed by a cardiopulmonary surgeon.

Pulmonary Function Tests

To determine if an individual is experiencing problems with their lungs, pulmonary function tests (PFT) are performed. This is a group of tests that require you to blow into a small device called a spirometer and also may use a pulse oximeter attached to a finger. These tests measure airflow, the volume of your lungs, how well your lungs exchange gas, how you respond to bronchodilators, and how your respiratory muscles function.

Specialists in pulmonary and sleep medicine at Mayo Clinic have deep experience treating people with a wide range of diseases and conditions affecting the lungs and breathing.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/pulmonary-medicine/sections/conditions-treated/orc-20397850

One reason pulmonary fibrosis often goes misdiagnosed is that symptoms of PF can be similar to symptoms of other lung diseases.

Respiratory - the non-professional term.

Respiratory is primary used to in phrases like the respiratory system. "Respiratory"means "breathing".

If you go to this page:

https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/lung-and-airway-disorders/biology-of-the-lungs-and-airways/overview-of-the-respiratory-system

and click on the "Professional version" for doctors, you get this:

https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/pulmonary-disorders/approach-to-the-pulmonary-patient/evaluation-of-the-pulmonary-patient

Pulmonary or respiratory

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions