Foundations of Respiratory Care

Synopsis

This reference and textbook covers the scope of practice, applied science, diagnostics, therapeutics, levels of delivery, and assorted applications. Topics include the history of the field; ethical and legal issues; cardiopulmonary anatomy and physiology; cardiopulmonary pharmacology; radiology; noninvasive monitoring of oxygen and carbon dioxide; pulmonary function testing; sleep disorders; hyperinflation therapy; airway management; invasive and noninvasive mechanical ventilation; neonatal and pediatric applications; geriatric applications; emergency medicine; home care; health promotion; and patient education. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Charles D. McArthur, BA (Immanuel St. Joseph's Hospital Mayo Health System)
Description:This is a well organized, clearly written book which respiratory therapy students will find easy to understand.
Purpose:The authors' purpose was to create a straightforward, easy-to-understand book that will help students to develop analytical and critical thinking skills. This book does fill a void in terms of its easy reading style and structure as well as coverage of current concepts in respiratory care. The authors have done an outstanding job of meeting their objectives.
Audience:The authors suggest the book is written for respiratory therapy students and respiratory therapists. I would agree with them. The authors are credible authorities in the subject matter.
Features:The book covers the practice of respiratory therapy including a historical perspective. The organization of the book is excellent. Standouts include the section on Scope of Practice, and the straightforward and easily understood writing style. The structure of the chapters is unique and I think it will foster thinking and learning beyond the text. The lack of color is a big shortcoming for me. The brevity of some content limits this book to use in schools and as a quick review for practitioners, but it should not be considered a fully referenced text.
Assessment:This is the most readily understandable, comprehensive respiratory therapy book that I have read. Students will love this book.

Biography

Kenneth A. Wyka, MS, RRT has been in the field of respiratory care since 1970. He obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey and formal training in respiratory care from the Lenox Hill Hospital School for Respiratory Therapy in New York City. In 1972, he founded the respiratory therapy program at Pasaic County Community College in Paterson, New Jersey. Since then, he managed the respiratory care department at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey, was the director of resiratory clinical education at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, started several pulmonary rehabilitation programs, worked in home care, and began a respiratory care consulting practice. He is the author of Respiratory Care in Alternative Sites and has been actively involved in several voluntary health and professional organizations. Currently, he is the Director of Marketing for Allied Health Care Services in Orange, New Jersey, and is an adjunct professor at Montclair State University in Upper Montclair, New Jersey.

Paul J. Mathews PhD, RRT, FCCM, FCCP, FAARC is Associate Professor of Respiratory Care, School of Allied Health; Associate Professor in Physical Therapy; and Adjunct Associate Professor at the Center on Aging, University of Kansas. He received his respiratory therapy training at Yale-New Haven Medical Center in New Haven, Connecticut. He holds his undergraduate degree from Quinnipiac College, Hamden, Connecticut; a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Hartford in Connecticut; and EdS and PhD degrees from the University of Missouri in Kansas City, Missouri. He has published more than 160articles in various national journals, has authored several books, serves on six editorial boards, and has lectured at many national and international meetings. In 1989, Dr. Mathews was president of the AARC, and, in 1990, he was selected for AARC Life Membership. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine and of the American College of Chest Physicians. Currently, he is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences and is listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World.

Dr. William Clark is the Director of the Program in Audiology and Communication Sciences (PACS) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, where he also holds the rank of Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology and the Department of Education. The PACS program trains teachers of the deaf, audiologists, and research scientists. Prior to his appointment in the School of Medicine, Dr. Clark was a Senior Research Scientist at CID and served as the Chairman of the Department of Speech and Hearing at Washington University. He has taught basic and advanced courses in acoustics, anatomy, research methods, and hearing disorders for many years. His work on noise-induced hearing loss encompasses laboratory studies of exposure in animal subjects, and field surveys of exposure and hearing loss both within and outside the workplace. Dr. Clark has published over 80 papers on the effects of noise on hearing and cochlear anatomy, physiology, and bioacoustics.