HYPERSENSITIVITY PNEUMONITIS

Course overview

HYPERSENSITIVITY PNEUMONITIS (HP) CLASSIFIED AS AN INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE IS CHARACTERIZED BY A COMPLEX IMMUNOLOGICAL REACTION OF THE LUNG PARENCHYMA IN RESPONSE TO REPETITIVE INHALATION OF A SENSITIZED ALLERGEN. SINCE THESE INITIAL OBSERVATIONS, NUMEROUS EXPOSURES HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT CAUSES HP. TRADITIONALLY IT HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED INTO ACUTE, SUB-ACUTE AND CHRONIC FORMS BASED ON THE TIME COURSE AND THE PRESENTATION. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE CAUSE, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, AND PRESENTATION OF HYPERSENSITIVITY PNEUMONITIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.