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Cough, dyspnea, chest pain, wheezing, hemoptysis, hemoptoe, abnormal breathing pattterns and sputum are the main symptoms of lower respiratory tract disease, which can easily be recognized via a thorough examination of medical history in a family practice. The specificity of the symptoms varies greatly. While cough can indicate the involvement of several organs, wheezing is highly indicative of lower respiratory

Atypical bacteria represent common causative agents of community-acquired pneumonia. Most frequently, these are Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Chlamydia psittaci, Legionella pneumophila, and in our enviroment also Coxiella burnetii. In the article, we review the main features of the atypical pneumonia syndrome, its most common causative agents, clinical signs and therapeutic principles.

Pulmonary hypertension is a pathophysiological and a haemodynamic state that can be observed in different clinical conditions. Although they all share elevated pressure in the pulmonary circulation, the underlying mechanism, diagnostic approach, clinical course, treatment and prognosis are completely different. This article presents the characteristics of individual groups of pulmonary hypertension, diagnostic methods, basic diagnostic algorithm, and lastly some principles

Pneumothorax is the presence of air or gas in the pleural cavity. According to pathophysiology, there are several distinct entities, namely spontaneous (primary or secondary), traumatic or iatrogenic. Tension pneumothorax is an especially dangerous form, which can severely endanger the patient. Pneumothorax is diagnosed based on clinical presentation, chest x-ray or other imaging modalities. Computed tomography is the study of

Acute pulmonary thromboembolism is a complication of deep venous thrombosis. The incidence of pulmonary embolism increases with age and is higher in persons with risk factors for deep venous thrombosis. The clinical presentation includes dyspnoea, frequently also chest pain, and in some patients syncope. The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism has two steps: if pulmonary embolism is suspected, the probability of

The incidence of bronchial asthma is very high in paediatric as well as in the adult population. Nevertheless, life style changes and adequate pharmacotherapy enables asthma patients to live normal, healthy life. If the disease is mild the drugs are usually taken by inhalations, while for more severe form of disease systemic application of drugs either oral or by injecting

Cough is an important disease symptom. Causes of cough are respiratory tract infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, lung cancer, bronchiectasie, and many other lung diseases, but also smoking, airway foreign body. Common extra pulmonary causes of cough are gastroesophageal reflux, rhinitis with postnasal drip, etc. Cough treatment should be always directed at the underlying cause of cough. In rare

Respiratory diseases are one of the major public health problems as they represent a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Among more than 40 different respiratory diseases the highest global epidemiological burden is associated with: upper and lower respiratory infections, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and tuberculosis. The most important risk factors for respiratory diseases are tobacco, outdoor

Primary malignant tumours of the pleura are classified into malignant mesotheliomas, mesenchymal tumours and primary lymphomas. The incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma is increasing throughout most of the world and is an aggressive, treatment-resistant tumour. Its exact prevalence is unknown but it is estimated that represent less than 1% of all cancers. It has a highly specific causal relationship with

In the third and final part of our review, we thoroughly and quantitatively analyse the influence of alveolar dead space ventilation and shunt on the pulmonary exchange of gases and present a rationale for the differential diagnosis of two most common causes of impaired pulmonary function. At the end, we present the most important elements involved in the regulation of

Metabolically produced CO2 diffuses into tissue capillaries and flows convectively via the bloodstream into alveolar capillaries. There it diffuses across the alveolocapillary membrane into the alveoli, from where it is transported via convective alveolar ventilation into the atmosphere. O2 flows in the reverse direction. The flow of gases differs significantly in various parts of the lungs, depending on the anatomical

Inspired air flows down the airways to reach the alveoli. Along this way, the temperature of this relatively small volume of air equilibrates with body temperature and becomes saturated with water vapour. In the alveolar space, the inspired air mixes with a relatively large volume of alveolar gas that contains less oxygen and by far more carbon dioxide. Since a