Clinically, pregnancy acts as a stress test that unmasks maternal disease and may have long-term implications for maternal and fetal health. In Pulmonary Problems in Pregnancy, the editors provide a state-of-the art, comprehensive text focusing on common or complex pulmonary issues occurring in pregnancy. For the first time, leading experts in the fields of obstetric, pulmonary, and critical care medicine provide novel and practical insights into improving the respiratory care of the pregnant patient. The book is divided into three sections. The first few chapters introduce the reader to the normal physiologic changes that occur during pregnancy. A chapter on high altitude is included to illustrate the consequences of chronic hypoxia on maternal and fetal outcomes, to help extrapolate to the effects of chronic pulmonary conditions. The second section reviews general management principles, including diagnostic imaging and prescribing in pregnancy. The final section includes multiple chapters on specific, troubling pulmonary disorders. The specific chapters are intended to summarize the available literature, linking science to bedside, and provide management recommendations whenever possible. In all, Pulmonary Problems in Pregnancy is an essential text that will not only provide critical clinical guidance but also stimulate further investigation into this fascinating and under explored area of medicine.
From the reviews: "I found the topics covered in the text highly relevant to clinical practice. ... Overall, I found the text readable ... . The figures and legends were largely useful ... . Those who would benefit from reading the book would include critical care attendings and fellows as well as maternal fetal medicine attendings and fellows. Also, generalist obstetricians interested in high-risk obstetrics would benefit as well. The book provides the most comprehensive review of respiratory disorders in pregnancy in one text that I have encountered." (Robin L. Perry, Critical Care Medicine, Vol. 38 (2), February, 2010) "This book focuses on pulmonary conditions that potentially can complicate a pregnancy. ... This book could be a nice resource for those in training and those looking for a starting point when researching a specific pulmonary condition in pregnancy. Internists and family practice doctors also could find this a ... valuable resource. ... The strength of this book is in its broad and comprehensive array of topics." (Gilad A. Gross, Doody's Review Service, January, 2010) "The book is a compilation of well-written and all-embracing chapters of complex respiratory problems. The spectrum of multidisciplinary involvement is particularly laudable and impressive. ... Pulmonary Problems in Pregnancy will appeal and provide a valuable resource to a large audience of health-care professionals, including obsterricians, anaesthetists, obstetric physicians, GPs and midwives who are increasingly looking after women with respiratory conditions. ... Overall this is a highly informative and well-mounted text that I would thoroughly recommend." (Feroza Dawood, British Journal of Hospital Medicine, Vol. 70 (11), November, 2009)