Introduction Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most frequent intensive care unit (ICU)–acquired infection among patients who are treated with mechanical ventilation. In contrast to infections of other organs (e.g., urinary…
Introduction Respiratory impairment refers to an alteration in lung structure and/or lung function that results in decreased or limited functional ability and is usually manifested by dyspnea on exertion. Many…
Introduction Pain is a complex subjective experience that varies from person to person in its quality, intensity, duration, location, frequency, and associated features. Its perception is influenced by a subject’s…
Introduction Thoracic application of ultrasonography can be broadly divided into lung and pleural imaging. Additional applications designed for the evaluation of patients with dyspnea include vascular scanning for the diagnosis…
Introduction Taking a careful and complete history and performing a thorough physical examination are hallmarks of the good internist and one of the distinguishing characteristics of a master clinician. The…
Introduction The clinical microbiology laboratory plays a critical role in diagnosis and management of patients with lower respiratory tract infections. By providing pathogen detection and identification and susceptibility testing the…
Introduction The human lung has a large surface area, which for an average-size person approximates half a doubles tennis court, thus maximizing the approximation and apposition of capillaries to the…
Introduction The human immune system consists of many different cell types and organs that have evolved to destroy or control potentially harmful foreign substances. The immune response is essential for…
Introduction The pathogenesis of many pulmonary diseases involves the processes of lung injury and repair, and indeed maintenance of normal lung homeostasis involves cycles of ongoing subclinical microinjury and repair….
