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Essentials of Chest Radiology
Book Reviews means is that not all of the inspired air reaches the alveoli, but of course the minute ventilation of the alveoli must be virtually the same as that of the mouth or trachea. There is the common confusion between closing volumes and flow limitation: it is unlikely that these are closely related. Lost people would not agree with the statement that ‘chronic obstructive lung disease depresses the ventilatory response to hypercapnia’. .4t the end of the book Dr Levitzky has some questions with long and somewhat complex answers. I think these are less than successful, particularly as the answers introduce a number of concepts not discussed in the text. One question asks the student to ‘predict the effects ofold age on standard lung volumes and capacities and the closing volume’. My prediction would be that anything could happen to these in old age, and the only way of knowing is to measure them. Dr Levitzky devotes half a page to predicting why they are as they are (if they are!). Despite these criticisms and reservations, overall this is a satisfactory textbook for first year medical students. There are several other texts at least as good, but it would be reasonable to give one or two copies of Dr Levitzky’s book a place in the medical school library. Malcolm
Essentials of Chest RadioloD .J. V. Forrest and D. S. Feigin Eastbourne: W’. B. Saunders. 1982. 0-7216-3818-X. Pp. 152. Pricef11.50
Green
ISBN
This book is intended primarily for medical students and House Officers. It has been written by two radiologists who are specialists in the field of chest radiology and who also have wide experience of undergraduate and Resident teaching. Nowadays, medical students are pmvided with a long bibliography of ‘useful reading’ and any new book on the market has to provide an attractive package. This book a mere 150 pages in length, has an abundance ofwell chosen and well reproduced illustrations, is well laid out and is very reasonably priced. It can be read in an hour or two. Laudably, the authors have not attempted to fly too high. Most of the book consists of short chapters beginning with common radiographic patterns or clinical problems. The introductory chapter provides a very
103
good approach for reading chest radiographs and one of the final chapters deals with iatrogenie chest problems and the intensive care unit radiograph. hledical students will find this a vev good book. especially when they have had some filmreading tutorials. It will also appeal greatly to housemen and junior registrars dealing with chest problems. It could happily find it.s way into the library of eve? Chest Unit where it should be read. at least once, by every member of the junior stafE and be glanced at with benefit by their C:onsultants! C. D. R. Flower
The Physical Treatment qfCystic Fibrosis D. Gaskell and B. M’ebber Bromley, Kent: Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust. 1982. Pp. 39. Price 4Op This 40 page well illustrated booklet is a brief description of the methods of physiotherapy used in cystic fibrosis. It is written by two physiotherapists from the Brompton Hospital who clearly have had extensive experience with the disease. The booklet describes the traditional approach to physiotherapy in cystic fibrosis. It outlines breathing exercises, postural drainage and percussion. It gives brief description of the forced expiration technique ofcoughing but does not stress sufficiently the importance of effective coughing. Much of the practice of chest physiotherapy is without good scientific basis but recent work does suggest that effective coughing is the most important method of removal of secretions. Only brief reference is made to general exercise. The combination of20 minutes or % hour ofexercise once or twice a day is being increasingly used by adolescents and adults with cystic fibrosis to replace physiotherapy when they are fit and the amount of sputum is small. Exercise before physiotherapy aids the remo\.al ofsecretions when the sputum amount is lar,ge. It is not clear to whom the booklet is specifically directed. Its format would suggest that the authors hoped it would be of particular use to parents and older children. However, the script in places is too technical and complicated for the average parent or patient. Professional physio-
Essentials of Chest RadioloD .J. V. Forrest and D. S. Feigin Eastbourne: W’. B. Saunders. 1982. 0-7216-3818-X. Pp. 152. Pricef11.50
Green
ISBN
This book is intended primarily for medical students and House Officers. It has been written by two radiologists who are specialists in the field of chest radiology and who also have wide experience of undergraduate and Resident teaching. Nowadays, medical students are pmvided with a long bibliography of ‘useful reading’ and any new book on the market has to provide an attractive package. This book a mere 150 pages in length, has an abundance ofwell chosen and well reproduced illustrations, is well laid out and is very reasonably priced. It can be read in an hour or two. Laudably, the authors have not attempted to fly too high. Most of the book consists of short chapters beginning with common radiographic patterns or clinical problems. The introductory chapter provides a very
103
good approach for reading chest radiographs and one of the final chapters deals with iatrogenie chest problems and the intensive care unit radiograph. hledical students will find this a vev good book. especially when they have had some filmreading tutorials. It will also appeal greatly to housemen and junior registrars dealing with chest problems. It could happily find it.s way into the library of eve? Chest Unit where it should be read. at least once, by every member of the junior stafE and be glanced at with benefit by their C:onsultants! C. D. R. Flower
The Physical Treatment qfCystic Fibrosis D. Gaskell and B. M’ebber Bromley, Kent: Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust. 1982. Pp. 39. Price 4Op This 40 page well illustrated booklet is a brief description of the methods of physiotherapy used in cystic fibrosis. It is written by two physiotherapists from the Brompton Hospital who clearly have had extensive experience with the disease. The booklet describes the traditional approach to physiotherapy in cystic fibrosis. It outlines breathing exercises, postural drainage and percussion. It gives brief description of the forced expiration technique ofcoughing but does not stress sufficiently the importance of effective coughing. Much of the practice of chest physiotherapy is without good scientific basis but recent work does suggest that effective coughing is the most important method of removal of secretions. Only brief reference is made to general exercise. The combination of20 minutes or % hour ofexercise once or twice a day is being increasingly used by adolescents and adults with cystic fibrosis to replace physiotherapy when they are fit and the amount of sputum is small. Exercise before physiotherapy aids the remo\.al ofsecretions when the sputum amount is lar,ge. It is not clear to whom the booklet is specifically directed. Its format would suggest that the authors hoped it would be of particular use to parents and older children. However, the script in places is too technical and complicated for the average parent or patient. Professional physio-