Handbook of Pulmonary Diseases

This book looks at pulmonary diseases, their aetiology, diagnosis and treatment with a focus on bronchitis, emphysema and pneumonia. Bronchitis, an inflammation of the bronchi that carry air to the lungs, is examined in this book, as well as bronchiectasis, a severe form of bronchitis characterised by bronchial dilatation. Emphysema, on the other hand, is due to the destruction of lung tissue. This book describes a case of mediastinal and subcutaneous emphysema observed in the II stage of labour, otherwise known as healthy primigravida. Finally, Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), a major cause of respiratory morbidity and mortality in the term and post-term new-borns is explored, as well as the strategies for the management and prevention of chronic bronchitis (CB) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a disease state associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs. Other chapters in this book discuss parapneumonic effusions (PPE) associated with bacterial pneumonia, the impact of ventilator-associated pneumonia in the Intensive Care Units and the effects of pranayama breathing patterns on the automatic nervous system.