Making Sense of Lung Function Tests

This pocket-sized handbook presents the many commonly performed tests of respiratory function, investigations that are to respiratory medicine what the ECG is to cardiology. Up to one third of emergency admissions are related to breathing difficulties of one sort or another, and a variety of diagnostic investigations are required. Familiarity with the interpretation of a range of respiratory parameters is therefore a fundamental skill to be acquired during training and improved upon throughout clinical practice. Providing invaluable 'hands-on' guidance for trainees in anaesthetics, medicine and pulmonary function, and also acting as a useful ready reference for the experienced clinician, "Making Sense of Lung Function Tests" places lung function in a clinical context using 'real-life' examples. The book integrates an understanding of the physiological principles underlying lung function with their interpretation in clinical practice. In reading "Making Sense of Lung Function Tests", the trainee physician will improve knowledge of the mechanical measurements of lung function, gain understanding of lung capacity and flow rates, be able to monitor the effectiveness of respiration, e.g. through blood gas analysis, and, as a result, will learn quickly how to manage patients requiring lung function tests appropriately and with confidence.