Thoracic Key

Introduction and Definitions Sleep-disordered breathing is a very common clinical problem. Pathologic changes in breathing during sleep may take the form of discrete episodes of absent (apnea) or reduced (hypopnea)…

Introduction Mechanical ventilation (MV) is a life-saving procedure with applications in acute and chronic respiratory failure. Since the late 1950s, mechanical ventilation has been preferentially delivered by direct access to…

Introduction A central sleep apnea (CSA) results from a transient abolition of central respiratory drive to the respiratory muscles leading to cessation of airflow; this is most often due to…

Introduction Patients with advanced chronic respiratory disease frequently have distressing symptoms, limitations in exercise ability, and reductions in health and functional status that persist despite optimal pharmacologic management. Pulmonary rehabilitation…

Introduction The eosinophilic lung diseases are a group of disorders ( Table 68-1 ) characterized by the presence and presumed pathogenetic role of eosinophils in the disease processes. They are…

Introduction and Definitions Pulmonary vasculitis is a general term that encompasses a wide variety of individual disease entities, all of which share a unifying finding of inflammation and destruction of…

Introduction Primary immune deficiency disorders (PIDDs) are disorders of the immune system that predispose individuals to infection and frequently malignancy and autoimmunity as well. Most PIDDs are inherited disorders. However,…

Introduction Disturbed sleep is increasingly being recognized as a major contributor to various deleterious health outcomes. Sleep deprivation is well known to impair cognition, mood, and memory, but more recent…

Introduction Diving and work in compressed air have produced occupational exposure to hazardous environments for over 100 years. In the past 60 years, diving has become a recreation for millions…