The Respiratory System at a Glance is a concise, readily accessible introduction and revision text for medical students. Part of the at a Glance series, the book uses one page of illustrations and one page of text per topic to explain subjects in an easy to understand and clear manner.

 

The text begins with an overview of the anatomy, gas laws, lung mechanics and circulation, progressing onto control of breathing, complications of development and lung immunology. A new chapter on History and Examination preceeds a small section on investigations, before exploring the most common and important respiratory diseases, such as Asthma, COPD, and Pnuemonia. Related topics such as smoking, mechanical ventialtion and a case study section complete the book.

 

This book is an invaluable resource for all medical students, as well as students of nursing and other allied health professions who need an introduction to the respiratory system. It will also be an indispensable resource and revision aid for junior doctors and respiratory nurses.

Professor Jeremy Ward- Professor of Respiratory Cell Physiology, Guy's, King's and St Thomas' School of Medicine, London.

Dr Jane Ward- Chair of MBBS Cardiovascular and Respiratory course Guy's, King's and St Thomas' School of Medicine, London.

 

Dr Richard Leach- Consultant Physician, Intensive Care Medicine, St Thomas' Hospital, London.

 

Dr Charles Wiener- Department of Bostetrics/Gynaecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Structure of the respiratory system : lungs, airways and dead space

The thoracic cage and respiratory muscles

Pressures and volumes during normal breathing

Gas laws and respiratory symbols

Diffusion

Lung mechanics : elastic forces

Lung mechanics : airway resistance

Carriage of oxygen

Carriage of carbon dioxide

Control of acid-base balance

Control of breathing I : chemical mechanisms

Control of breathing II : neural mechanisms

Pulmonary circulation and anatomical right-to-left shunts

Ventilation-perfusion mismatching

Exercise, altitude and diving

Development of respiratory system and birth

Complications of development and congenital disease

Lung defence mechanisms and immunology

History and examination

Pulmonary function tests

Chest imaging and bronchoscopy

Respiratory failure

Asthma : pathophysiology

Asthma : treatment

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Pulmonary hypertension

Venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary involvement in vasculitis

Interstitial lung disease

Pleural diseases

Occupational and environmental-related lung disease

Cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis

Pneumothorax

Community acquired pneumonia

Hospital acquired (nosocomial) pneumonia

Pulmonary tuberculosis

Respiratory infection in HIV infection

Smoking

Lung cancer

Acute respiratory distress syndrome

Mechanical ventilation

Acute oxygen therapy

Sleep-disordered breathing

Case studies : questions

Case studies : answers