Physiotherapy for Respiratory and Cardiac Problems, ed 2.

Physiotherapy for Respiratory and Cardiac Problems, ed 2

Pryor JA, Webber BA, eds. Edinburgh, United Kingdom, EH1 3AF, Churchill Livingstone Inc, 1998, paperback, 540 pp, illus, $39.95.

This book provides therapists with a great deal of useful information regarding the treatment of individuals with respiratory or cardiac conditions. There are 21 chapters divided into 2 sections. The first 10 chapters make up section 1, covering topics related to the assessment and management of patients' respiratory and cardiac problems; the chapters in section 2 deal with the needs of specific patients.

Chapter 1 provides the reader with a comprehensive description of objective assessment techniques for patients with cardiorespiratory conditions. This chapter discusses topics such as the differentiation of various cardiorespiratory and noncardiorespiratory causes of chest pain, breathlessness, coughing, sputum analysis, breath sounds, clubbing, edema, arterial blood gases, and vital signs. Subsequent chapters in section 1 cover pulmonary function testing, sophisticated monitoring techniques (both invasive and noninvasive), and thoracic imaging techniques (eg, fluoroscopy, radiography, ultrasonography, computed tomography, and arteriography). Several chapters in this section also provide factual information on mechanical ventilatory support, the effect of body positioning on oxygen transport, chest physical therapy (eg, breathing control; airway clearance; the use of devices such as flutter, positive expiratory pressure, incentive spirometry, and suction), and the interpersonal aspects of care (eg, guidance for communication, counseling, education).

Section 2 (chapters 11 to 21) provides a great deal of information on topics such as postoperative complications, intensive care management of the patient who is critically ill, considerations for persons with spinal cord injuries, cardiopulmonary transplantation, and care of the patient who is dying. Chapter 13 is devoted exclusively to the discussion of cardiorespiratory physical therapy for infants and children, care in the neonatal intensive care unit, surgery on infants and children, trauma in children, and selected respiratory ailments that are common during childhood. The remaining chapters in this section are devoted to pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation, hyperventilation, bronchiectasis, primary ciliary dyskinesia, and cystic fibrosis. The appendix lists normal values for vital signs, arterial and venous blood gases, blood chemistry, pressures in the circulatory and respiratory systems, and common medical abbreviations related to cardiorespiratory care.

This text contains a wealth of information for the therapist who cares for patients with cardiac or respiratory disease and patients with other conditions that affect the cardiorespiratory system. Electrocardiography, which was not included in the book, was the only deficiency. The book contains numerous photographs, drawings, and tables throughout, which clearly illustrate many techniques and further enhance the value of this text for the practicing clinician.

The book's editors and contributors are primarily from Great Britain, but other contributors are from Canada and Australia. Overall, the content and procedures presented are very similar to those found in texts written in the United States, illustrating the universal nature of high-quality care and patient management. This book would make an excellent addition to the reference library of any physical therapist. Even therapists who are not directly involved in the care of patients with cardiac and respiratory disease should find the information in this book to be very useful in examination, evaluation, and developing the plan of care for patients with a variety of conditions.

John P Sanko, EdD, PT University of Scranton Scranton, Pa

Dr Sanko is Associate Professor and teaches cardiopulmonary physical therapy and research.