Sarcoidosis can lead to severe lung scarring (pulmonary fibrosis). It can also sometimes be associated with pulmonary hypertension. These can significantly impact lung function and cause a drop in oxygen levels, particularly during exertion.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qi4D-vLiZJ4

Oxygen saturation levels (SpO2) can be monitored using an oximeter, and values below 90% warrant a check of blood oxygen levels. This can be done through blood gas analysis from the earlobe or an arterial blood sample. If oxygen levels are indeed low, supplemental oxygen therapy may be prescribed to improve oxygen levels, reduce the risk of complications, and potentially enhance exercise tolerance. However, it's worth noting that oxygen therapy may not alleviate all symptoms of breathlessness. Regular follow-ups and additional tests, including imaging and lung function assessments, are crucial to monitor the progression of the disease and manage any potential complications, such as cardiac involvement. Patients experiencing palpitations at rest, or randomly occurring, should inform their doctors, who may recommend further tests like a Holter ECG or cardiac PET to assess heart function and rule out cardiac sarcoidosis. Pulmonary rehabilitation and optimization of other treatments, such as those for other heart and lung conditions, may be beneficial. #sarcoidosis #oxygen #pulmonaryfibrosis

An overview of drug induced interstitial lung disease / pulmonary fibrosis. This video explains how the connection between a certain medication and pulmonary fibrosis is made. You can also watch the video on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/fVRf8Y-hwS4

Several drugs can induce lung reactions and fibrosis, but unless we have a clear timeline it can be very hard to confidently say it was a specific drug that caused the fibrosis.

Remember there may be other causes for pulmonary fibrosis that may need to be investigated.

Look up potential for lung toxicity of different medications here: https://www.pneumotox.com/drug/index/

(a star sign with a higher number in it suggests there is a higher potential of lung toxicity - i.e. number 4 or 5)

#pulmonaryfibrosis #ild #interstitiallungdisease

Overview of interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs). ILAs represent incidental findings on a chest CT scan, which affect more than 5% of any lung zone (upper, middle or lower) in a person where interstitial lung disease / pulmonary fibrosis was not suspected.

You can also watch this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/KCrniBdbZic

Interstitial lung abnormalities can be found in 2-9% of patients who have a CT scan (depending on the population studied). There is no clear consensus on how these should be followed up.

The main problem is that in some cases, ILAs may actually represent an early case of pulmonary fibrosis / interstitial lung disease. Therefore there is a risk that the abnormalities may worsen over time.

This is a useful overview of interstitial lung abnormalities: https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/radiol.2021204367 #pulmonaryfibrosis #ild