ABSTRACT
Respiratory disease is increasing, currently being the cause of death of one in five people in the UK (BTS, 2006). This chapter describes pathologies that more often necessitate or complicate adult admission to acute wards. Gas exchange in the lungs relies on
n ventilation (volume of air reaching alveoli) n perfusion (volume of blood in pulmonary capillaries) and n diffusion (exchange of gases between the two).
