Anatomy and physiology Understanding the surface anatomy of the lungs ( Fig. 5.1 ) and their relation to adjacent structures is essential for the practice of respiratory medicine. At the end of tidal expiration, the dome of the diaphragm extends high…
Heart Anatomy and physiology The heart comprises two muscular pumps working in a series, covered in a serous sac (pericardium) that allows free movement with each heart beat and respiration ( Fig. 4.1 ). The right heart (right atrium and ventricle)…
General principles of physical examination The process of taking a history and conducting a physical examination is artificially separated in classical medical teaching, to encourage learners to develop a structured approach to information gathering. However, your physical assessment of patients…
The importance of a clear history Understanding the patient’s experience of illness by taking a history is central to the practice of all branches of medicine. The process requires patience, empathy and understanding to yield the key information leading to…
The clinical encounter The clinical encounter between a patient and doctor lies at the heart of most clinical practice. At its simplest, it is the means by which people who are ill, or believe themselves to be ill, seek the…
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus that belongs to the same family of viruses as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). It was first identified in Wuhan,…
Acknowledgements Ashok Adams, Consultant Neuroradiologist, for helping with the radiological images, and Rachael Mcfarlane, Senior Audiologist, for helping with the vestibular testing and audiological testing images. Introduction This chapter describes the assessment of potential diseases of the ear, nose and…
Introduction Although proportionally a greater contribution towards the diagnosis of ophthalmic disorders is made by the examination compared with the history, it is important to obtain a detailed account of the presenting complaint and associated visual symptoms from the patient…
Introduction The skin is the largest organ in the human body. Forming a major interface between man and his environment, it covers an area of approximately 2 m and weighs about 4 kg. The structure of human skin is complex…
Introduction The endocrine system is composed of the classic endocrine organs: ▪ Hypothalamus/pituitary ▪ Thyroid ▪ Parathyroid ▪ Adrenal ▪ Pancreatic islet cells ▪ Gonads The mode of presentation of endocrine disorders does not fit neatly into a system-based model,…