Cytokines and the Pleura
Cytokines and the Pleura Cytokines are soluble peptides secreted by cells that affect the behavior of either the same or nearby cells through nonenzymatic means. Often they are glycopeptides and…
Animal Models in Pleural Investigation
Animal Models in Pleural Investigation The pleural space is involved in many different disease processes. Animal models of pleural disease offer the opportunity to answer many questions regarding the pathophysiology…
Physiological Effects of Pneumothorax and Pleural Effusion
Physiological Effects of Pneumothorax and Pleural Effusion In this chapter, the effects of pleural air or pleural fluid on pleural pressures, pulmonary function and gas exchange, the diaphragm, the heart,…
Physiology of the Pleural Space
Physiology of the Pleural Space The pleural space is the coupling system between the lung and the chest wall, and, accordingly, it is a crucial feature of the breathing apparatus….
Anatomy of the Pleura
Anatomy of the Pleura The pleura is the serous membrane that covers the lung parenchyma, the mediastinum, the diaphragm, and the rib cage. This structure is divided into the visceral…
Arrhythmias
Arrhythmias Cardiac arrhythmias were first noted in antiquity, when physicians began to palpate the arterial pulse. Hippocrates noted that a slow pulse in elderly men heralded sudden death, and Galen…
Heart Failure
Heart Failure Heart failure is a common, progressive, and usually lethal syndrome that represents a final common pathway by which a variety of disease processes impair cardiac function. In the…
The Electrocardiogram
The Electrocardiogram The electrocardiogram (abbreviated ECG from the English spelling, or EKG from the Dutch) uses electrodes placed on the body surface to record the electrical activity of the heart….
The Cardiac Action Potential
The Cardiac Action Potential The cardiac action potential, which is generated by the orchestrated opening and closing of the ion channels described in Chapter 13, is much more complex than…
The Ischemic Heart
The Ischemic Heart The heart requires an uninterrupted supply of oxygen to meet its high energy needs, which can be satisfied only by oxidative metabolism (Chapter 2). Coronary artery occlusion…
