If the symptoms are severe enough, treatment may be needed. These range from medical management over mechanical ventilation (both continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), or bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) to tracheal stenting and surgery.

Surgical techniques include aortopexy, tracheopexy, tracheobronchoplasty, and tracheostomy. The role of the nebulised recombinant human deoxyribonuclease (rhDNase) remains inconclusive.

Diagnosis is conducted according to the severity of the symptoms. Initially pulmonary function tests are administered. These tests include the lungs' capability of air intake and outtake, and gas flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the body and environment. Following these function tests a CT scan or bronchoscopy will be ordered. The results to the scan and bronchoscopy will display the status of the rare condition. A mild case of tracheobronchomalacia would be if the patient's trachea condenses 50% of its normal space when exhaling. Moderate tracheobronchomalacia would be 25% of the normal trachea space constricting and a severe case would be if the walls touch each other.

The physician will ask some questions about the baby’s health problems and may recommend a flexible laryngoscopy to further evaluate the infant's condition.

To properly treat a patient with tracheobronchomalacia, the subtype must be determined (primary or secondary). After the type is named, the cause must be identified, whether it is from genetics, a trauma accident, or chronic tracheal illness. If a trauma case or chronic tracheal illnesses were the cause, the first steps of treatment would be to fix or help these underlying issues. If the cause is genetic or the previous underlying issues could not be fixed, other treatments would be assessed. More severe treatments include silicone stenting to prevent tracheal constriction, surgery to strengthen or attempt to rebuild the walls, continuous positive airway pressure that has a machine blow small amounts of air into the trachea to keep it open (mainly at night), or a tracheostomy, which is surgically put into your neck that leads to your trachea to help with breathing. People with tracheobronchomalacia who do not experience symptoms do not need treatment and are often undiagnosed.

For children less than 1 year, the American Heart Association recommends performing cycles of 5 back blows (or slaps) followed by 5 chest compressions. These cycles of 5 back blows then 5 chest compressions are repeated until the object comes out of the infant's airway or until the infant becomes unresponsive. If the infant becomes unresponsive, the American Heart Association recommends starting CPR. The reason that abdominal thrusts are not recommended in children less than 1 year is because they can cause liver damage.

The American Heart Association recommends chest thrusts rather than abdominal thrusts for pregnant or obese persons who are choking.

Chest thrusts are performed in a similar to the abdominal thrusts, but with a change in hand placement of the rescuer. The hands are placed on the lower part of the choking victim's chest, at the base of the breastbone or sternum, rather than over the middle of the abdomen, as in traditional abdominal thrusts. Strong inward thrusts are then applied.

The diagnosis of plastic bronchitis is confirmed by recovery of casts that have been coughed up or visualized during a bronchoscopy. There is no specific cytologic, pathologic or laboratory test that is diagnostic for casts due to lymphatic PB.

Simple chest roentenograms may reveal collapse due to airway obstruction. The contralateral lung may be hyperinflated. Casts can be visualized within the major airways using computerized axial tomography scans.

Heavy T2-weighted MRI, and, as appropriate, intranodal lymphangiogram and/or dynamic contrast-enhanced MR lymphangiography may be useful for identifying pathological lymphatic tissue and/or lymphatic flow.

Rapid diagnosis and treatment are important in the care of TBI; if the injury is not diagnosed shortly after the injury, the risk of complications is higher. Bronchoscopy is the most effective method to diagnose, locate, and determine the severity of TBI, and it is usually the only method that allows a definitive diagnosis. Diagnosis with a flexible bronchoscope, which allows the injury to be visualized directly, is the fastest and most reliable technique. In people with TBI, bronchoscopy may reveal that the airway is torn, or that the airways are blocked by blood, or that a bronchus has collapsed, obscuring more distal (lower) bronchi from view.

Chest x-ray is the initial imaging technique used to diagnose TBI. The film may not have any signs in an otherwise asymptomatic patient. Indications of TBI seen on radiographs include deformity in the trachea or a defect in the tracheal wall. Radiography may also show cervical emphysema, air in the tissues of the neck. X-rays may also show accompanying injuries and signs such as fractures and subcutaneous emphysema. If subcutaneous emphysema occurs and the hyoid bone appears in an X-ray to be sitting unusually high in the throat, it may be an indication that the trachea has been severed. TBI is also suspected if an endotracheal tube appears in an X-ray to be out of place, or if its cuff appears to be more full than normal or to protrude through a tear in the airway. If a bronchus is torn all the way around, the lung may collapse outward toward the chest wall (rather than inward, as it usually does in pneumothorax) because it loses the attachment to the bronchus which normally holds it toward the center. In a person lying face-up, the lung collapses toward the diaphragm and the back. This sign, described in 1969, is called fallen lung sign and is pathognomonic of TBI (that is, it is diagnostic for TBI because it does not occur in other conditions); however it occurs only rarely. In as many as one in five cases, people with blunt trauma and TBI have no signs of the injury on chest X-ray. CT scanning detects over 90% of TBI resulting from blunt trauma, but neither X-ray nor CT are a replacement for bronchoscopy.

At least 30% of TBI are not discovered at first; this number may be as high as 50%. In about 10% of cases, TBI has no specific signs either clinically or on chest radiography, and its detection may be further complicated by concurrent injuries, since TBI tends to occur after high-energy accidents. Weeks or months may go by before the injury is diagnosed, even though the injury is better known than it was in the past.

Although this is a congenital lesion, airway sounds typically begin at age 4–6 weeks. Until that age, inspiratory flow rates may not be high enough to generate the sounds. Symptoms typically peak at age 6–8 months and remit by age 2 years.

Late-onset laryngomalacia may be a distinct entity, which can present after age of 2 years

Airway obstruction may cause obstructive pneumonitis or post-obstructive pneumonitis.

There are three types of tracheomalacia:

- Type 1—congenital, sometimes associated with tracheoesophageal fistula or esophageal atresia

- Type 2—extrinsic compression sometimes due to vascular rings

- Type 3—acquired due to chronic infection or prolonged intubation or inflammatory conditions like relapsing polychondritis

Giving the mother glucocorticoids speeds the production of surfactant. For very premature deliveries, a glucocorticoid is given without testing the fetal lung maturity. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Royal College of Medicine, and other major organizations have recommended antenatal glucocorticoid treatment for women at risk for preterm delivery prior to 34 weeks of gestation. Multiple courses of glucocorticoid administration, compared with a single course, does not seem to increase or decrease the risk of death or neurodevelopmental disorders of the child.

In pregnancies of greater than 30 weeks, the fetal lung maturity may be tested by sampling the amount of surfactant in the amniotic fluid by amniocentesis, wherein a needle is inserted through the mother's abdomen and uterus. Several tests are available that correlate with the production of surfactant. These include the lecithin-sphingomyelin ratio ("L/S ratio"), the presence of phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and more recently, the surfactant/albumin (S/A) ratio. For the L/S ratio, if the result is less than 2:1, the fetal lungs may be surfactant deficient. The presence of PG usually indicates fetal lung maturity. For the S/A ratio, the result is given as mg of surfactant per gm of protein. An S/A ratio 55 indicates mature surfactant production(correlates with an L/S ratio of 2.2 or greater).

Pulmonary ultrasound, performed at the bedside or on the accident scene, is being explored as a diagnosis for pulmonary contusion. Its use is still not widespread, being limited to facilities which are comfortable with its use for other applications, like pneumothorax, airway management, and hemothorax. Accuracy has been found to be comparable to CT scanning.

In rounded atelectasis (Folded lung or Blesovsky syndrome), an outer portion of the lung slowly collapses as a result of scarring and shrinkage of the membrane layers covering the lungs (pleura), which would show as visceral pleural thickening and entrapment of lung tissue. This produces a rounded appearance on x-ray that doctors may mistake for a tumor. Rounded atelectasis is usually a complication of asbestos-induced disease of the pleura, but it may also result from other types of chronic scarring and thickening of the pleura.

Chest X-ray is the most common method used for diagnosis, and may be used to confirm a diagnosis already made using clinical signs. Consolidated areas appear white on an X-ray film. Contusion is not typically restricted by the anatomical boundaries of the lobes or segments of the lung. The X-ray appearance of pulmonary contusion is similar to that of aspiration, and the presence of hemothorax or pneumothorax may obscure the contusion on a radiograph. Signs of contusion that progress after 48 hours post-injury are likely to be actually due to aspiration, pneumonia, or ARDS.

Although chest radiography is an important part of the diagnosis, it is often not sensitive enough to detect the condition early after the injury. In a third of cases, pulmonary contusion is not visible on the first chest radiograph performed. It takes an average of six hours for the characteristic white regions to show up on a chest X-ray, and the contusion may not become apparent for 48 hours. When a pulmonary contusion is apparent in an X-ray, it suggests that the trauma to the chest was severe and that a CT scan might reveal other injuries that were missed with X-ray.

Bronchomalacia is a term for weak cartilage in the walls of the bronchial tubes, often occurring in children under six months. Bronchomalacia means 'floppiness' of some part of the bronchi. Patients present with noisy breathing and/or wheezing. There is collapse of a main stem bronchus on exhalation. If the trachea is also involved the term tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) is used. If only the upper airway the trachea is involved it is called tracheomalacia (TM). There are two types of bronchomalacia. Primary bronchomalacia is due to a deficiency in the cartilaginous rings. Secondary bronchomalacia may occur by extrinsic compression from an enlarged vessel, a vascular ring or a bronchogenic cyst. Though uncommon, idiopathic (of unknown cause) tracheobronchomalacia has been described in older adults.

Treatment is difficult to define given the number of different causes and the wealth of anecdotal information collected by and from cat breeders. Treatments have hitherto been based on the assumption that FCKS is caused by a muscular spasm, and their effectiveness is impossible to assess because some kittens will recover spontaneously without intervention.

Diaphragmatic spasm is easily tested for and treated by short term interruption of the Phrenic nerve. The nerve runs down the outside of the neck where the neck joins to the shoulder, within a bundle of muscles and tendons at this junction. The cluster can be pinched gently and held for a few seconds each time. Kittens with spasmodic FCKS will show almost immediate improvement, but the treatment may need to be repeated several times over a few days as the spasm may have a tendency to recur. [Um für diapragmatisch Sparmus zu prüfen, Sie müssen der Phrenikus finden (es heisst auch der Zwerchfellnerv), der lauft am aussen des Hals, wo der Hals trifft die Schulter. Da gibt es mehrere Muskeln und Sehnen–da es unmoeglich ist die Nerv allein zu finden bzw. kneifen, müssen Sie die ganze Menge zusammen ruhig kneifen für ein paar Sekunden. Wenn es doch diapragmatisch Spasmus ist und Sie das Phrenikus gut kneifest (manchmal aber nicht immer werde die Katze mit den hinteren Beinen kicken), sollen Sie sofort eine Verbesserung anschauen. Es kann sein, dass die Spasmus wieder kommt nachher im kommenden Tage—in dem Fall müssen Sie es nochmal machen. Wenn Sie aber keine Verbesserung siehst, ist der Problem dann leider etwas anders.]

Continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) is used in human babies with lung collapse, but this is impossible with kittens. It is possible that the success of some breeders in curing kittens by splinting the body, thus putting pressure on the ribcage, was successful as it has created the effect of positive air pressure, thus gradually re-inflating the lungs by pulling them open rather than pushing them open as is the case with CPAP.

Treatment is directed at correcting the underlying cause. Post-surgical atelectasis is treated by physiotherapy, focusing on deep breathing and encouraging coughing. An incentive spirometer is often used as part of the breathing exercises. Walking is also highly encouraged to improve lung inflation. People with chest deformities or neurologic conditions that cause shallow breathing for long periods may benefit from mechanical devices that assist their breathing. One method is continuous positive airway pressure, which delivers pressurized air or oxygen through a nose or face mask to help ensure that the alveoli do not collapse, even at the end of a breath. This is helpful, as partially inflated alveoli can be expanded more easily than collapsed alveoli. Sometimes additional respiratory support is needed with a mechanical ventilator.

The primary treatment for acute massive atelectasis is correction of the underlying cause. A blockage that cannot be removed by coughing or by suctioning the airways often can be removed by bronchoscopy. Antibiotics are given for an infection. Chronic atelectasis is often treated with antibiotics because infection is almost inevitable. In certain cases, the affected part of the lung may be surgically removed when recurring or chronic infections become disabling or bleeding is significant. If a tumor is blocking the airway, relieving the obstruction by surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or laser therapy may prevent atelectasis from progressing and recurrent obstructive pneumonia from developing.

Lower airway obstruction is mainly caused by increased resistance in the bronchioles (usually from a decreased radius of the bronchioles) that reduces the amount of air inhaled in each breath and the oxygen that reaches the pulmonary arteries. It is different from airway restriction (which prevents air from diffusing into the pulmonary arteries because of some kind of blockage in the lungs). Diseases that cause lower airway obstruction are termed obstructive lung diseases.

Lower airway obstruction can be measured using spirometry. A decreased FEV1/FVC ratio (versus the normal of about 80%) is indicative of an airway obstruction, as the normal amount of air can no longer be exhaled in the first second of expiration. An airway restriction would not produce a reduced FEV1/FVC ratio, but would reduce the vital capacity. The ventilation is therefore affected leading to a ventilation perfusion mismatch and hypoxia.

Usually the sequestration is removed after birth via surgery. In most cases this surgery is safe and effective; the child will grow up to have normal lung function.

In a few instances, fetuses with sequestrations develop problematic fluid collections in the chest cavity. In these situations a Harrison catheter shunt can be used to drain the chest fluid into the amniotic fluid.

In rare instances where the fetus has a very large lesion, resuscitation after delivery can be dangerous. In these situations a specialized delivery for management of the airway compression can be planned called the EXIT procedure, or a fetal laser ablation procedure can be performed. During this minimally invasive fetal intervention, a small needle is inserted into the sequestration, and a laser fiber is targeted at the abnormal blood vessel going to the sequestration. The goal of the operation is to use laser energy to stop the blood flow to the sequestration, causing it to stop growing. Ideally, after the surgery, the sequestration steals less blood flow from the fetus, and the heart and lungs start growing more normally as the sequestration shrinks in size and the pleural effusion goes away.

The treatment for this is a wedge resection, segmentectomy, or lobectomy via a VATS procedure or thoracotomy.

Pulmonary sequestrations usually get their blood supply from the thoracic aorta.

Vehicle occupants who wear seat belts have a lower incidence of TBI after a motor vehicle accident. However, if the strap is situated across the front of the neck (instead of the chest), this increases the risk of tracheal injury. Design of medical instruments can be modified to prevent iatrogenic TBI, and medical practitioners can use techniques that reduce the risk of injury with procedures such as tracheotomy.

Bronchopulmonary sequestration (BPS) is a rare congenital malformation of the lower respiratory tract.

It consists of a nonfunctioning mass of normal lung tissue that lacks normal communication with the tracheobronchial tree, and that receives its arterial blood supply from the systemic circulation.

BPS is estimated to comprise 0.15 to 6.4 percent of all congenital pulmonary malformations, making it an extremely rare disorder.

Sequestrations are classified anatomically.

Intralobar sequestration (ILS) in which the lesion is located within a normal lobe and lacks its own visceral pleura.

Extralobar sequestration (ELS) in which the mass is located outside the normal lung and has its own visceral pleura

The blood supply of 75% of pulmonary sequestrations is derived from the thoracic or abdominal aorta.

The remaining 25% of sequestrations receive their blood flow from the subclavian, intercostal, pulmonary, pericardiophrenic, innominate, internal mammary, celiac, splenic, or renal arteries.

Bronchomalacia can best be described as a birth defect of the bronchus in the respiratory tract. Congenital malacia of the large airways is one of the few causes of irreversible airways obstruction in children, with symptoms varying from recurrent wheeze and recurrent lower airways infections to severe dyspnea and respiratory insufficiency. It may also be acquired later in life due to chronic or recurring inflammation resulting from infection or other airway disease.

The use of steroids (Dexamethasone) coupled with an antibiotic (Amoxicillin) will support the kitten in a number of ways, the steroid enhancing maturation and the antibiotic addressing the possibility of underlying infection and compensating for the immuno-depressant properties of the steroid. The steroid will also encourage the kitten to feed more energetically, keeping its weight up. Several breeders believe that Taurine plays a part in the condition, and it may be that some cases are Taurine-related. These breeders give the queen large doses of Taurine (1000 mg) daily until the kittens recover – apparently within a few days. Given that most FCKS cases take weeks rather than days to recover, this supplement may be relevant.