Lung Function

From The Critics

Reviewer: Faiq J. Albazzaz, MD(University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine)
Description: This fifth edition describes the respiratory functions of the lung (in contrast to nonrespiratory functions) in a variety of circumstances and details how the functions are assessed. The fourth edition was published in 1979. The book also briefly describes major lung diseases and provides a brief sketch of their management.
Purpose: The book covers lung function and its assessment during the resting state, exercise, sleep, abnormal environments (for example, high altitude) as well as in disease states.
Audience: The author aims this book at specialists in respiratory medicine; those in lung function laboratories; workers in occupational, sports, and environmental medicine; and those involved with medicolegal work.The book succeeds in reaching the targeted audience. It is comprehensive, yet practical. It is very appropriate for pulmonary specialists (adult as well as pediatric medicine) and fellows training in respiratory, critical care, neonatology, and pediatric pulmonology. This book would be appropriate for technical directors of respiratory therapy departments and pulmonary function laboratories. It is an excellent reference book for general medical libraries.
Features: This book contains an excellent selection of tables containing hard-to-find physical, physiological, and anthropomorphic data pertinent to respiratory function and their measurement. The tables in the chapter dealing with oxygen therapy are useful for guiding therapy. The references are grouped at the end of the book and are updated to the early 1990s. This organization offers easy access, especially for those preparing lectures related to a specific topic.
Assessment: This is an excellent reference book for any specialist or practitioner of respiratory medicine. I was delighted to find that the author not only explains the theoretical background of a particular respiration physiology parameter, but also offers very practical advice on how to do things in real life. I found the tables very useful. Like any endeavor, some imperfections are present, such as the imprecise description of the molecular defect in cystic fibrosis (pp 545-546) as being the abnormal control of the chloride channels, whereas the accepted evidence is that the chloride channel itself is abnormal. The author also states that the "missing gene" has been identified, whereas the cystic fibrosis gene is not missing, it is abnormal CFTR. These errors should not distract significantly from the main value of the book and its contribution to the field of respiration physiology and medicine.

Faiq J. Albazzaz

This fifth edition describes the respiratory functions of the lung (in contrast to nonrespiratory functions) in a variety of circumstances and details how the functions are assessed. The fourth edition was published in 1979. The book also briefly describes major lung diseases and provides a brief sketch of their management. The book covers lung function and its assessment during the resting state, exercise, sleep, abnormal environments (for example, high altitude) as well as in disease states. The author aims this book at specialists in respiratory medicine; those in lung function laboratories; workers in occupational, sports, and environmental medicine; and those involved with medicolegal work.The book succeeds in reaching the targeted audience. It is comprehensive, yet practical. It is very appropriate for pulmonary specialists (adult as well as pediatric medicine) and fellows training in respiratory, critical care, neonatology, and pediatric pulmonology. This book would be appropriate for technical directors of respiratory therapy departments and pulmonary function laboratories. It is an excellent reference book for general medical libraries. This book contains an excellent selection of tables containing hard-to-find physical, physiological, and anthropomorphic data pertinent to respiratory function and their measurement. The tables in the chapter dealing with oxygen therapy are useful for guiding therapy. The references are grouped at the end of the book and are updated to the early 1990s. This organization offers easy access, especially for those preparing lectures related to a specific topic. This is an excellent reference book for any specialist or practitioner of respiratorymedicine. I was delighted to find that the author not only explains the theoretical background of a particular respiration physiology parameter, but also offers very practical advice on how to do things in real life. I found the tables very useful. Like any endeavor, some imperfections are present, such as the imprecise description of the molecular defect in cystic fibrosis (pp 545-546) as being the abnormal control of the chloride channels, whereas the accepted evidence is that the chloride channel itself is abnormal. The author also states that the ""missing gene"" has been identified, whereas the cystic fibrosis gene is not missing, it is abnormal CFTR. These errors should not distract significantly from the main value of the book and its contribution to the field of respiration physiology and medicine.

4 Stars! from Doody