A Manual Of Respiratory Failure.

Abstract

This book is designed for the physician who has little knowledge of the pathophysiology and management of respiratory failure. It will also be useful for nurses and inhalation therapy technicians involved in caring for patients with such conditions. There is a section on the pathophysiology of respiratory failure that presents in a direct, simplified, if superficial manner the physiology of respiratory gas exchange and the states producing hypoxemia and hypercapnia. The importance of serial blood gases and the monitoring of ventilation on these patients is well stressed. In regard to pulmonary function tests, there is a tendency to stress the more difficult ones rather than the simple ventilatory studies. The discussion of the interpretation of arterial blood gases and evaluation of acid-base problems is practical and straightforward. In presenting the treatment of respiratory failure, inadequate attention is paid to the principles of low flow oxygen therapy. There is a fair