ABOUT IPF

> Glossary

• Alveoli—very small air sacs found in the lungs.
• Ambulatory patients—patients who are not bedridden and are able to walk on their own.
• Arterial blood test—a test that measures the oxygen levels of blood samples from an artery in order to determine the degree of gas exchange in the lungs.
• Asthma—a chronic respiratory disease characterized by repeated attacks of difficult breathing, wheezing, chest constriction, and coughing.
• Bronchi—large airway passages of the lungs.
• Bronchioles—smaller airway passages of the lungs that branch off from the bronchi.
• Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)—a diagnostic technique in which fluid is instilled into the lungs and removed for examination.
• Bronchoscope—a flexible tube that a doctor inserts into the airways through the nose or mouth during certain testing procedures.
• Capillaries—the smallest vessels of the circulatory system, responsible for delivering oxygen to tissues.
• Clinical trial—a scientific study designed to find out whether an investigational drug is safe and will work on a specific disease or will benefit patients.
• Congestive heart failure—heart failure caused by the heart’s inability to properly circulate blood throughout the body.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)— a general category for lung diseases associated with airflow obstruction. Lung diseases that fall into this category include emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and chronic asthma either alone or in combination.
• CT or "CAT" scan—computed tomography, which is a type of x-ray for which a computer is used to construct a three-dimensional image from a series of cross-sectional images. The procedure generates multiple pictures of the lungs in layers (slices) from the top (at the shoulders) to the bottom (just above the waist). This test requires the patient to lie on a table while the pictures are taken, holding the breath and letting it out as instructed.
• Clubbing—a buildup of tissue in the fingertips (or sometimes the toes). Clubbing may be a sign of advanced IPF.
• Diagnose—to identify or name a disease.
• Exercise test—a test that requires walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bicycle while measurements are taken to determine the response of the heart and lungs to physical activity.
• Fibrosis—an abnormal scarring of body tissue.
• Genetics—the traits or characteristics inherited from one or both parents.
• Idiopathic—arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause.
• Interstitium—connective tissue that surrounds lung tissue.
• Lung biopsy—a procedure in which a tissue sample (biopsy) is obtained through a flexible tube or by means of a small surgical incision between the ribs.
• Lung transplantation—replacement of a lung or lungs with donor organ(s).
• Pulmonary fibrosis—thickening and scarring of the lungs, specifically the pulmonary interstitium.
• Pulmonary function test—a test that a doctor may use to measure breathing capacity, determine the “stiffness” of the lungs, and calculate the amount of oxygen that travels from the lungs to the bloodstream.
• Pulmonary rehabilitation program—a program designed by a doctor to provide a structured, monitored exercise program to help prolong life, reduce disability, and increase the level of functioning.
• Pulmonary—having to do with the lungs.
• Pulse oximeter—a device that measures the pulse rate and the amount of oxygen in the blood (blood oxygen saturation). Patients may be asked by their physician to use a pulse oximeter at home.
• Scar tissue—fibrous tissue formed as a result of wound healing.
• Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)—a procedure in which tissue samples (biopsies) are taken from small incisions made on the side of the chest.

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