Pulmonary Pathophysiology

This book is an outgrowth of a core course in pathophysiology designed for second-year medical students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. It has been written with several goals in mind: (1) to review normal respiratory physiology as the basis for understanding pathophysiologic alterations important in disease states; (2) to provide a framework for understanding commonly used pulmonary diagnostic tests; (3) to develop a rational basis for various therapeutic strategies used in treating respiratory diseases; and (4) to demonstrate the clinical relevance of pathophysiology by anchoring concepts in case presentations grouped along thematic lines.