Thoracic Key

Abstract A significant number of children admitted to pediatric intensive care units across the United States receive invasive mechanical ventilation. While respiratory disease in children is a major indication for…

Abstract Lung injury from hydrocarbon aspiration continues to account for a significant proportion of accidental poisonings in children. Severe pneumonitis can occur. Treatment remains largely supportive, and some suggest that…

Abstract Mechanical ventilation is central to critical care and came into routine practice after the polio outbreaks in the mid-20th century. A contemporary mechanical ventilator is a device made to…

Abstract Pulmonary hypertension in children is a disease with very high morbidity and mortality if left untreated. There has been increasing recognition of the need to appropriately classify and categorize…

Abstract Though less common in the developed world, parasitic infections, particularly those involving the lung, remain prevalent in resource poor countries. Current seroprevalence data place toxocariasis among the most common…

Abstract Pulmonary fungal infections can be caused by endemic or opportunistic fungi. The endemic mycoses are known for their ability to cause disease in otherwise healthy children as well as…

Abstract Pertussis or whooping cough is an acute bacterial infection of the respiratory tract, caused by Bordetella pertussis and, less frequently, by B. parapertussis . It occurs worldwide, affects all…

Abstract Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains a major health problem, accounting for approximately 20% of all deaths in children younger than 5 years. Viruses are, by far, the most common cause…

Abstract This chapter discusses the common and potentially serious infective causes of acute upper airway obstruction in children. The laryngeal anatomy of young children makes them particularly susceptible to upper…