This book is written for medical students and house officers working on the wards, in the intensive care unit, and in the emergency room. It is intended for use by all whose work involves the daily evaluation and management of medical emergencies. The material is a compilation of information gained from our personal experiences in clinical practice, from participation in professional meetยญ ings and conferences, and from searching the medical literature. The introductory chapters in Part I form a foundation that is develยญ oped in the subsequent parts where specific topics are discussed. When possible, we have simplified complex approaches to diagnosis and manยญ agement by formulating algorithms and handy reference tables. Since this is a handbook and not a textbook, we have limited our discussion of pathogenesis and pathophysiology in order to concentrate on practical aspects and specific details that are useful in the diagnosis and management of pulmonary emergencies. Our aim is to alert young physicians to common pulmonary emergencies and guide them through their initial management
CONTENT
I. The Approach to Patient Evaluation -- 1 Clinical Assessment of the Patient with Pulmonary Disease -- 2 Interpretation of Arterial Blood Gases in the Emergency Patient -- II. Normal Lungs with Acute Respiratory Decompensation -- 3 Extrapulmonic Ventilatory Failure -- 4 Life-Threatening Pneumonia -- 5 Acute Inhalation Lung Disease -- 6 Pulmonary Edema -- 7 Near-Drowning -- 8 Chest Trauma -- 9 Upper-Airway Emergencies -- III. Chronic Lung Disease with Acute Respiratory Decompensation -- 10 Acute Respiratory Failure in the Patient with Chronic Airflow Obstruction -- 11 Asthma -- IV. Pulmonary Vascular Emergencies -- 12 Hemoptysis -- 13 Embolic Pulmonary Disease -- 14 Superior Vena Cava Syndrome -- V. Pleural Emergencies -- 15 Catastrophic Pleural Disease -- VI. Ventilator Emergencies -- 16 Ventilatory Assistance and Its Complications -- Appendix A Terms and Symbols Terms and Symbols -- Appendix B Normal Values Ventilation (BTPS) -- Lung Volumes (BTPS) -- Mechanics of Breathing -- Oxygenation -- Hemodynamic Parameters -- Miscellaneous
