06/13/2022

Friends of Franz Podcast S1 E21: Pulmonary Medicine with Dr. Neena Chadrasekaran

When it comes to the most well-known organs that the general public can name, the lungs would definitely be one of the first in line. As seen in a percentage of the population at a young age, almost everyone can recognize asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia. As the population ages, more complex lung pathologies become common talk, like COPD and emphysema, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and pleural effusion. But upon the arrival of the year 2020, a new respiratory predicament became universal knowledge: the novel coronavirus. With its initial spell of fear as manifested by nonproductive cough, shortness of breath, congestion, and the eventual stories of intubation and ventilators, the world of pulmonary medicine has been forever changed. It is of my utmost pleasure to present this episode's guest, a firsthand witness of this colossal transitory passage into the world of the lungs: pulmonary critical care physician Dr. Neena Chandrasekaran.

Completing her Internal Medicine residency and Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine fellowship, Dr. Neena Chandrasekaran now carries 14 years of education and training under her belt to share her expertise in the field of pulmonology.

How does COVID-19 actually affect our lungs? Do the lung X-rays of those infected with the virus and unvaccinated differ from those vaccinated? Do steroid treatments and monoclonal antibodies like Regeneron's REGEN-COV actually help COVID-infected patients? How do new viral variants exacerbate complications of infections, such as acute respiratory failure (ARF) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)? How do different oxygen devices (nasal cannula versus non-rebreather mask versus BiPAP) provide therapy to desaturating patients? I hope your breath gets taken away 🙊 with all the deep-dive information we present today on all things pulmonology!