3.00 Credits
Students taking the second-year Respiratory System are assumed to have retained from their first-year courses, a working knowledge of the following: normal processes such as embryonic development of the lung and perinatal changes in the pulmonary circulation; normal pulmonary gross and microscopic structure; and normal function of the thorax, airways, and lung parenchyma (e.g., mechanics and regulation of breathing, ventilation, perfusion, and gas exchange). This knowledge will form the basis for study of abnormal processes, including the following: infectious, inflammatory and immunologic disorders (e.g., bronchiectasis, ARDS, asthma); traumatic and mechanical disorders (e.g., aspiration, pneumothorax); neoplastic disorders (e.g., bronchogenic carcinoma, metastatic tumors); metabolic, regulatory and structural disorders (e.g., hypoventilation, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome); vascular and circulatory disorders (e.g., thromboembolic disease, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary edema); and systemic diseases affecting the respiratory system. Also covered will be the principles of therapeutics, including the mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs used for treatment of respiratory disorders (e.g., decongestants, bronchodilator drugs, and antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal agents) and other therapeutic modalities or preventive measures (e.g., oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation, various forms of surgery, Osteopathic manipulative procedures, smoking cessation strategies).