Publisher's Synopsis
This text is designed to deal with emergency pulmonary disease and the problems most commonly encountered in the emergency department, diseases that present acutely or result from acute trauma, inhalations or ingestions.;The approach is multidisciplinary, bringing experts from the fields of pulmonary disease and emergency medicine together to provide a physiologically-oriented approach to airway disease, infection problems and parenchymal lung disease. The book begins with a physiologic approach to respiratory symptoms and respiratory failure. Problems of the upper and lower airway, including asthma, COPD, and upper airway infections are also discussed. Hemoptysis, which is often a difficult problem in the emergency department setting, is presented so that the practitioner can develop a differential diagnosis and treatment plan. Pulmonary edema, probably the most common cause for respiratory failure leading to intensive care is dealt with, including pulmonary embolism and drug-induced lung-disease. The study concludes with a discussion of the uses of respiratory therapy, oxygen and aerosol delivery devices.