CLINICAL PULMONARY MEDICINE: Pulmonary Pathophysiology, Diagnostic Evaluation, Function Testing, and Respiratory Disease Management

Pulmonary disease remains one of the most common — and most frequently misinterpreted — sources of diagnostic uncertainty in clinical practice. Symptoms overlap, imaging findings can mislead, and pulmonary function tests are too often interpreted in isolation rather than as part of a coherent physiological picture. CLINICAL PULMONARY MEDICINE is a comprehensive, clinically focused guide to respiratory physiology, diagnostic evaluation, pulmonary function testing, and the management of major pulmonary diseases. Designed for physicians, residents, fellows, respiratory therapists, critical care clinicians, and advanced healthcare trainees, this book connects foundational pulmonary physiology with the practical decisions required in real-world respiratory medicine. Rather than presenting pulmonary disorders as isolated lists of facts, the text emphasizes mechanism-based clinical reasoning. Readers learn how to connect symptoms, pulmonary function tests, arterial blood gases, imaging findings, and disease-specific features into a coherent diagnostic picture. Physiology and Diagnostics: Respiratory mechanics, ventilation, perfusion, and gas exchange Oxygen transport and control of breathing Systematic clinical assessment of respiratory disease Spirometry, lung volumes, flow–volume loops, and DLCO Integrated pulmonary function test interpretation Arterial blood gas analysis and acid–base assessment Hypoxemia, hypercapnia, and respiratory failure Oxygen therapy, noninvasive support, and mechanical ventilation Chest radiography, CT, bronchoscopy, and pleural diagnostics Clinical Disease Management: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Bronchiectasis and small-airways disorders Restrictive and interstitial lung disease Pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension Pleural effusion and pneumothorax Pneumonia, tuberculosis, chronic pulmonary infection, and ARDS Sleep-disordered breathing, obesity hypoventilation, and neuromuscular respiratory failure Diagnostic approaches to dyspnea and unexplained gas-exchange abnormalities Integration of PFTs, imaging, and blood gases when findings are discordant Particular emphasis is placed on pulmonary function testing and interpretation, including the recognition of obstructive, restrictive, mixed, hyperinflation, air-trapping, and diffusion abnormalities. The book also provides a structured framework for interpreting arterial blood gases and distinguishing hypoxemic from hypercapnic respiratory failure. The final chapters move beyond individual diseases and focus on how pulmonary medicine is actually practiced: starting with the patient's presenting problem and determining which physiological mechanism best explains the available evidence. Full-color illustrations, clinical diagrams, diagnostic frameworks, tables, and quick-reference appendices reinforce the major concepts and provide practical tools for rapid review. Whether used for systematic study, postgraduate training, or clinical reference, CLINICAL PULMONARY MEDICINE provides a practical framework for understanding complex respiratory disease and transforming diagnostic findings into clinically meaningful decisions. A practical reference for clinicians and advanced learners seeking a deeper understanding of pulmonary pathophysiology, diagnostics, function testing, respiratory failure, and contemporary respiratory medicine.