Respiratory symptoms such as breathlessness and cough are common in patients with advancing and incurable disease. For example, cancer, chronic cardiac and pulmonary disease, progressive neuromuscular disorders and degenerative disorders all give rise to varying degrees of respiratory distress, which adversely affects the patient's quality of life. In recent years, there has been significant growth in the palliation of respiratory symptoms, leading to practical ways of giving relief in hospices, hospitals, and at home. This book includes non-malignant respiratory diseases, such as tuberculosis ... More

Respiratory symptoms such as breathlessness and cough are common in patients with advancing and incurable disease. For example, cancer, chronic cardiac and pulmonary disease, progressive neuromuscular disorders and degenerative disorders all give rise to varying degrees of respiratory distress, which adversely affects the patient's quality of life. In recent years, there has been significant growth in the palliation of respiratory symptoms, leading to practical ways of giving relief in hospices, hospitals, and at home. This book includes non-malignant respiratory diseases, such as tuberculosis in AIDS patients and cystic fibrosis, and focuses on aetiology and diagnosis and management, emphasising symptoms, quality of life, and psychosocial support. Its underlying theme is the application of modern research-based knowledge, in a humane way, for patients with advancing disease.