Preface to fourth edition vii Units and symbols ix List of abbreviations xi About the companion website xiii Part 1 Structure and function 1 1 Structure of the respiratory system: lungs, airways and dead space 2 2 The thoracic cage and respiratory muscles 4 3 Pressures and volumes during normal breathing 6 4 Gas laws 8 5 Diffusion 10 6 Lung mechanics: elastic forces 12 7 Lung mechanics: airway resistance 14 8 Carriage of oxygen 16 9 Carriage of carbon dioxide 18 10 Acid-base balance 20 11 Acid-base disorders 22 12 Control of breathing I: chemical mechanisms 24 13 Control of breathing II: neural mechanisms 26 14 Pulmonary circulation and anatomical right-to-left shunts 28 15 Ventilation-perfusion mismatching 30 16 Exercise, altitude and diving 32 17 Development of the respiratory system and birth 34 18 Complications of development and congenital disease 36 19 Lung defence mechanisms 38 20 Immunology of the lung 40 Part 2 History, examination and investigation 43 21 History and examination 44 22 Pulmonary function tests 46 23 Chest imaging and bronchoscopy 48 Part 3 Diseases and treatment 51 24 Public health and smoking 52 25 Respiratory failure 54 26 Asthma: pathophysiology 56 27 Asthma: treatment 58 28 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 60 29 Pulmonary hypertension 62 30 Venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism 64 31 Pulmonary involvement in vasculitis 66 32 Diffuse parenchymal (interstitial) lung diseases 68 33 Sarcoidosis 70 34 Pleural diseases 72 35 Occupational and environmental-related lung disease 74 36 Cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis 76 37 Pneumothorax 78 38 Community-acquired pneumonia 80 39 Hospital-acquired (nosocomial) pneumonia 82 40 Pulmonary tuberculosis 84 41 The immune-compromised patient 86 42 Lung cancer 88 43 Acute respiratory distress syndrome 90 44 Mechanical ventilation 92 45 Oxygenation and oxygen therapy 94 46 Sleep apnoea 96 Index 98.