Monitoring Airway Inflammation and Infection

Abstract Summary Lung inflammation is a major cause of respiratory failure. Although infection is a common precipitant of inflammation, it is far from the only cause. Distinguishing sterile from infective inflammation is a challenge. This chapter discusses the approaches to sampling the lungs directly for microbiological and host response assessment. It also examines the role of clinical examination and testing of the systemic and pulmonary compartments in monitoring lung inflammation.