This timely Second Edition of a landmark reference furnishes in-depth examinations of the latest developments in the physiology, pathophysiology, and clinical relevance of the respiratory muscles and chest wall--reflecting the explosion of information that has occurred since the publication of the previous edition.

This timely Second Edition of a landmark reference furnishes in-depth examinations of the latest developments in the physiology, pathophysiology, and clinical relevance of the respiratory muscles and chest wall-reflecting the explosion of information that has occurred since the publication of the previous edition.

This book reviews the most recent developments in the patho- physiology and therapy of ventilatory failure. It contains contributions by twenty-five internationally recognized aut- horities on respiratory muscle function and investigators actively contributing to our knowledge of the cause, diagno- sis and therapy of ventilatory failure. Of particular inter- estare the descriptions of new modalities of partial and complete ventilatory assistance as well as new knowledge re- garding ventilatory control and fatigue during stressful breathing. The reader will find here a state-of-the-art re-...