The Multidisciplinary Approach in the Diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

1. The Multidisciplinary Approach in the Diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis How is Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Diagnosed? In general, the multidisciplinary approach refers to any task that is carried out with respect to the fulfillment of multiple goals or covering more than two areas of the discipline. In medical terms, this approach involves the fusion of different aspects to come to a valid and comprehensive conclusion. In this article, you will learn about idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and its diagnosis methods. Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or IPF is a chronic lung disease that is characterized by scarring or fibrosis of the lungs. An early and precise diagnosis of this condition is necessary for starting disease-specific treatment (like Pirfenidone tablets). Surgical lung biopsy, a type of diagnostic procedure, is a safe method for those individuals who have gone through pulmonary function tests and the results are normal. Further, a multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis includes the interaction among:  A pulmonologist  A chest radiologist  A pulmonary pathologist  A rheumatologist

2. All of the above must be qualified in diagnosing and treating interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). This approach is used almost all over the world and is critical for the diagnosis of IPF among other chronic diseases. Methods The protocol of the multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary diagnosis might differ from place to place. Some centers may conduct the diagnostic procedures on a weekly basis while others may prefer conducting on a monthly basis. Generally, a pulmonologist or a group of pulmonologists lead the conversation and prepare the results. Majorly, two methods are used during the diagnosis including surgical lung biopsy and transbronchial lung cryobiopsy.  A surgical lung biopsy involves the removal of lung tissue from the suspected area of the lungs. Further, the sample is taken to the laboratory for microscopic examination.  A transbronchial lung cryobiopsy is a diagnostic procedure that is relatively new to the field. It is used for sampling lung parenchyma. In this process, a flexible cryoprobe is used by the technologist to freeze some area of an individual’s peripheral lung which is further drawn out as a cryobiopsy. Besides these, diagnosis and treatment of IPF are a major concern. Medications including Perfecine tablets are used to manage the disease and inhibit disease progression. However, no permanent cure has been established. Conclusion As per the recent studies and patients’ cases, the multidisciplinary approach has shown a significant increase in the accuracy of IPF diagnosis. Moreover, this method of discussion among qualified medical professionals becomes a valuable asset to the field of pulmonology because very few establishments have shown reliability equal to this. With the increasing incidence of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, it has become necessary to address the precision provided by the proven multidisciplinary approaches while investigating more with a special focus on reliable results. Source: http://writeus.me/the-multidisciplinary-approach-in-the-diagnosis-of-idiopathic- pulmonary-fibrosis/