Publisher's Synopsis
Respiratory medicine has shared, with other branches of medicine, the many recent advances of both laboratory and clinical medicine which have been based on new scientific knowledge and technical expertise. These advances have been seen not only in the understanding of the mechanisms and processes of disease but also in many practical aspects of investigation and treatment. It should be emphasized, however, that the fundamental value remains of previous major contributions, particularly of physiology, over the last 60 years, which have formed the basis of respiratory medicine as currently practised, and upon which more recent knowledge has been grafted. This text then attempts to summarize traditional teaching together with appropriate recent advances. Encompassing in one small volume the essence of the specialty, it is suitable not only for the medical student but the qualified doctor, whether studying for a higher qualification, or revising knowledge for day-to-day practice. It is also of relevance to paramedical staff.
